This is not to say that you do not need a change in medication, but to give you a simple guide to follow before you talk to your doctor about the change. Chances are that not taking your medication properly is the reason you are having the trouble. By correcting this, you may see that the original effects of the medication return and there is no need to begin trying other medications again.

Topical medications (medicine applied to the skin) are the largest group of medications that this affects. Internal medications usually stay in the system for a bit and are not as quick to lose effect unless you are missing multiple doses or only taking it sporadically.

When your dermatologist prescribes a topical medication, he gives you verbal instructions about when, where, and how much to apply.

Not to sound like your mother, but, he's not saying these things just to hear himself speak. Although prescribed medications have dosage and application instructions on the packaging, it is wise to take notes in the doctor's office. Writing something down helps memory and, in the case of sample medications, the package will not have dosage instructions as your doctor prescribed in a convenient label.

Aside from making sure that you have the dosage instructions, you may need to set up some type of alarm system to act as a reminder. This needs to be something that you can take with you (along with your medication) wherever you go. It's hard, but one of the facts about medication is that in some way, it intrudes in your life. If medication is only to be applied twice a day, it shouldn't be necessary to take your medication with you, but an alarm system is.

A simple alarm system may be within your reach already. Most cell phones incorporate a way to set reminders, complete with some type of audible alarm, PDA's (personal digital assistants) also offer this feature. There are also key chains that double as digital watches which usually have a built-in alarm. The key is to USE whatever system you choose.

If you are using a topical medication, you may want to make a resolution to use it as prescribed in order to gain maximum benefit. If using the medication as prescribed is a problem, be sure to let your dermatologist know. Without compliance, there is a significant chance that the treatment will not work.

After you have been applying your topical medication as prescribed for two to three weeks you should see noticeable improvement in the medicinal effects. If not, you need to discuss medicinal changes with your dermatologist. In this conversation, admit that you were not properly dosing for a while and noticed trouble.

Tell him about your alarm system and how you have been using it for X (your time period) weeks. The lack in proper dosing MAY have something to do with the reaction and he may need to change the dosage of the same medication. He will know the best step to take as long as you supply him with honest information.

Keep in mind that you are not alone. Studies show us that most people are forgetful when it comes to medication application. Setting up a memory trigger is important to people, like you, who have chronic conditions like psoriasis in order for you to see the best possible results from your medication. Given current medical costs, including prescription costs, it makes sense to get the best from your medicine.

The Studies Show ...

Studies on at-home dosage of medications have shown that very few people actually remember to take medication when they were supposed to be taking it. Initial studies relied on patients to record their usage and then bring medication tubes in to be weighed. Through compliance issue findings, it was determined that more accurate measurement was needed to truly assess patients' use of topical medications.

The measurement accuracy was resolved by fitting a tube cap with a microprocessor that recorded the date and time each time the tube was opened. The results showed that not one person managed to achieve a 100% compliance with the prescribed usage of the medication.