Prescription drugs play a vital role in our health, whether you take them on a regular basis for a chronic condition or occasionally to deal with illnesses. Yet despite their importance, many of us—even patients with chronic diseases—don’t take them as prescribed. In some cases, the patient doesn’t understand when or how to take their medication (e.g., morning versus bedtime, with or without food, never with grapefruit juice, etc.). But most often, the reason is cost. While (as previously noted) nearly one-third of us say they’ve skipped medication due to cost, the actual number may be much higher. In fact, a recent CVS survey of its pharmacists put that number at closer to 62 percent. And with prices continuing to rise, the issue is not going away soon.