When it comes to healthcare, many people think of doctor visits and individual health insurance plans. However, medication is also an important component to one's healthcare.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that nearly 50 percent of Americans took at least one prescription medication in the past month.

The American Pharmacists Association is urging pharmacists and consumers to talk about sticking to medication guidelines. The APhA says the healthcare system is burdened with more than $177 billion a year because patients don't properly follow their medication instructions

APhA executive vice president and CEO Thomas Menighan says pharmacists can play a role in patients adhering to medication guidelines.

"Medication adherence is a significant problem for the U.S. healthcare system, and as any healthcare provider will tell you 'drugs don't work in patients who don't take them,'" says Menighan.

Even something as simple as not refilling a prescription or deciding to stop a medication before receiving a doctor's permission is considered improper medication use. In some cases, patients may feel like they can't comply with proper medication use. Some prescription drugs can be more costly than people's budgets can accommodate.