Thinking Outside the Pillbox

May 3, 2010

NEJM: Thinking Outside the Pillbox - Medication Adherence as a Priority for

Health Care Reform

Copying snip:

" Data show that as many as half of all patients do not adhere faithfully to

their prescription-medication regimens - and the result is more than $100

billion spent each year on avoidable hospitalizations.1

Nonadherence to medication regimens also affects the quality and length of

life; for example, it has been estimated that better adherence to

antihypertensive treatment alone could prevent 89,000 premature deaths in

the United States annually.2

.... For patients with coexisting conditions who take multiple medications

prescribed by multiple physicians, there is a vital need to reconcile the

prescribed regimen with what a patient is actually taking and to understand

why there is a difference between the two.

But optimizing and reconciling medications require substantial investments

of time by a skilled health care practitioner, as well as electronic data

sharing among practitioners - neither of which is widely available in

today's model of health care delivery.

There are also numerous factors that affect adherence at the individual

level, including lifestyle, psychological issues, health literacy, support

systems, and side effects of medications.

Indeed, patients' personal attributes probably have the strongest influence

on adherence. Engaging and supporting patients in improving their adherence

are critical to improving health outcomes. In today's system, however, there

are neither the incentives nor the support systems to do so. "

==

Which reminds of our Medication checklist - a tool to help patients and

caregivers to self-administer medications, but also check for possible

interactions when consulting our doctors. http://bit.ly/at2vsT

All the best,

~ Karl

Patients Against Lymphoma

Patients Helping Patients

Non-profit | Independent | Evidence-based

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