Patients who fail to take their medications as prescribed cause 10% of hospital admissions and 125,000 deaths per year. The number of deaths from medication non-compliance is almost as high as deaths from stroke, the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Only half of patients prescribed a statin to treat their cholesterol are still taking it after 6 months. Especially with cardiac conditions, non-adherence with medication can have devastating consequences. Patients prescribed blood thinning agents after various cardiac procedures who are non-compliant can suffer heart attacks from implanted coronary stents occluding, strokes from clots forming in the heart and traveling to the brain, and abrupt malfunction of mechanical heart valves which can lead to shock and death. Admittedly, costs of meds can be a factor in compliance, as well as the sheer number of meds some patients take and the frequent dosing (up to three or four times a day). Understanding why one needs to take the med and a desire to treat ones medical condition are key to improving compliance. The American College of Cardiology is co-sponsoring a website (scriptyourfuture.org) which provides resources to help patients stay compliant with medications. Ask your physician about your medicines, how they work and why you need to take them, so that you can better understand the importance of taking them regularly.