This paper examines the barriers that prevent homeless individuals in America from complying with prescribed medication regimens. It discusses how lack of health insurance and poverty make filling prescriptions financially out of reach for many, while additional factors such as depression, poor understanding of dosing instructions, lack of storage, and fear of theft compound the problem. Drawing on studies of homeless populations, the paper highlights that noncompliance can worsen individual health outcomes and poses public health risks such as the spread of tuberculosis and HIV. The paper concludes by calling for targeted healthcare programs and broader social interventions to address root causes of homelessness and medication noncompliance.
This paper demonstrates effective use of integrated evidence — each paragraph introduces a claim, supports it with a cited source, and then interprets the evidence in relation to the broader argument. This technique, common in undergraduate health and social science writing, ensures that assertions are grounded in the literature rather than in opinion alone.
The paper opens with a brief framing of the problem and its scope, then devotes one paragraph to financial barriers and a second to non-financial factors including psychological resistance and logistical obstacles. A short concluding paragraph ties together the public health stakes and proposes both programmatic and structural solutions. The overall structure is tight and argument-driven, appropriate for a short persuasive essay at the undergraduate level.
Healthcare for the homeless is perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare professionals today. Homeless individuals in America face many problems, and healthcare is only one of them. It is difficult for most homeless people to fill and use prescription drugs for a number of reasons, ranging from cost to the ability to self-administer medications they may not fully understand or want. The problems of homeless noncompliance with prescription medications must be addressed to avoid a growing crisis in homeless healthcare.
Most homeless people do not have healthcare coverage, so even basic prescription medications may be out of their reach. If they do attempt to receive healthcare at all, it is usually through a county facility such as a public clinic or a free clinic. When their conditions require prescription drugs, they often cannot afford to fill those prescriptions. Even when they do fill them, they may forget to take the medication or have difficulty understanding when and how to take it.
One study found that nearly a third of homeless people surveyed did not take medication that had been prescribed for them. As the researchers reported, "29.7% were currently taking medication for a health problem. Another 27.6% admitted to not taking a medication that was prescribed. Unfilled prescriptions ranged from antihypertensives and tuberculosis medications to analgesics and anti-inflammatory treatments" (Clarke, Williams, & Percy, 1995, p. 108). Many people assume that most homeless individuals have mental health conditions, but recent surveys suggest this is not always the case. Many people experience homelessness as a result of domestic violence, unemployment, drug addiction, poverty, or a lack of affordable housing (Editors, 2004). As a result, many of these individuals may require ongoing medications that they simply cannot afford or obtain.
Boucher, L. A. (1995). Medication: Overview and issues. In D. W. Rich & L. C. Mullins (Eds.), Old and homeless — Double-jeopardy: An overview of current practice and policies (pp. 53–63). Westport, CT: Auburn House.
Clarke, P. N., Williams, C. A., & Percy, M. A. (1995). Health and life problems of homeless men and women in the southeast. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 12(2), 101–110.
Editors. (2004). Health care for the homeless. Retrieved from the American Medical Student Association web site:
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