​Top Tips For Improving Patient Adherence

As a pharmacist, you know that patient adherence is very important for the health of your patients. While there are many different strategies to help improve compliance and prevent drug-related problems, one of the most cost-effective and easy ways to promote adherence is by providing patients with motivational messages. In this blog post, we will explore some evidence-based tips on how pharmacists can support their patients to increase their medication adherence rates.

Patient Nonadherence Is Common and Can Be Dangerous

One study found that 50% of prescriptions were not filled correctly or were skipped entirely. With over one billion medication prescriptions being issued each year in the United States, that translates into potentially dangerous mistakes for 500 million patients.

This is not just a problem with long-term medication management either - hospitalizations are more likely to occur if patients do not take their medications as directed by their physician! This can lead to longer hospital stays and increased costs of care which leads us to our first point:

Patient Adherence Can Have a Significant Impact on Health Care Costs and Quality of Life

If patients do not take their medications as directed, they may develop more severe health issues which can lead to them receiving higher levels of care. These high-risk individuals also tend to be sicker than those who are compliant with treatment plans because of their increased exposure to medications and disease. This can lead to delayed diagnosis, inappropriate therapies, less successful treatments, and even death.

The financial impact of medication non-adherence is also very high. The average annual health care expenditure for individuals who are adherent with their medications was $1441 lower compared to those who did not follow through on treatment plans! This information suggests that pharmacists may play an important role in minimizing the costs associated with poor patient adherence by increasing compliance rates.

Pharmacists Can Help Improve Patient Compliance with Medications

The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that found that pharmacists were able to increase patient compliance with hypertension drugs by 22%! Similar results have been seen in diabetes management as well: decreased hemoglobin A-I levels (indicating better blood sugar control) after three months was observed when patients received counseling from pharmacists compared to those who did not receive such support. While there isn't strong evidence supporting the impact of counseling on adherence rates for non-chronic diseases like seasonal allergies or acute conditions like bronchitis, pharmacists may likely be impactful in these areas as well.

Patient Motivational Messages Improve Compliance

A review of 56 studies found that messages with a combination of education and encouragement led to the greatest improvement in medication adherence rates. Pharmacists and other health care providers can include motivational messages (reminders, prompts, etc.) when dispensing medications or through outreach at pharmacies, community events, online portals, or direct mail. These messages are also effective when combined with other methods of adherence support such as patient education, counseling sessions, and pharmacologic management.

Pharmacists Should Work With Patients to Develop a Plan for Monitoring and Managing Medication Adherence

While many patients do not feel comfortable discussing issues with their medication adherence, pharmacists can take the lead by broaching this topic during routine appointments or even setting up specific times to discuss such concerns. This will allow you to discover any barriers that your patients might have towards taking medications, such as cost of drugs, inconvenient dosing schedules (may need an alternative form of delivery), side effects causing them distress, difficulty finding time to fill prescriptions at pharmacies, etc.. Once these potential problems are discovered early on through open communication with the patient, then pharmacists can create strategies that can be implemented with the patient to overcome such obstacles.

For example, pharmacists can help patients fill their prescriptions at a different pharmacy that is more convenient for them (such as one located closer to home), suggest an alternative medication if they are experiencing side effects from their current therapy, provide educational materials on how medications work and why it's important to take them properly, or even refer patients back to physicians if there may be another underlying issue causing non-compliance, like uncontrolled diabetes leading to neuropathy. These solutions will ensure that pharmacies continue working together with health care providers and caregivers in maximizing the benefits of medication use while minimizing the risks associated with poor compliance!

Patient adherence is important because taking medications as prescribed reduces the risk of drug interactions, prevents the development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria, and allows patients to receive maximum benefit from medications.

Patient Adherence Can Be Improved By Offering Support That Remains Patient-Centered While Still Being Effective With Pharmacists As Your Key Partners

We've discussed how pharmacists can help improve patients' adherence rates but what exactly does this look like? It's clear from studies on this subject matter that one method has been effective: including independent community pharmacies as members of your healthcare team! Community pharmacists are on the frontline of healthcare and can offer effective solutions to improving patient adherence rates.

Here are some of the best ways pharmacists can improve patient adherence:

• Provide motivational messages and reminders to patients about their medication.

• Keep track of compliance rates, such as pill counts or bottle counts, to monitor patient progress over time.

• Identify potential barriers for your patient and provide solutions that work best for them.

• Help them set realistic goals to help provide motivation.

• Encourage them to keep a medication diary, which can help you identify problems in their treatment plan.

• Work with other members of your patient's health care team (such as physicians) to coordinate their care and encourage compliance rates.

• Provide educational resources and informational materials that can help patients better understand their medications.

• Keep track of patient preferences, such as which time(s) of the day they like to take their medication. Don't make them take pills at a certain time if it isn't best for them!

• Hold "refill clinics" to help patients get their medications as quickly as possible.

• Offer a "medication packet pick up" service where you will bring the medication directly to them! This is helpful if they have transportation issues or live in a rural area with limited pharmacies nearby.

Offering supportive consultations that are patient-centered while also being effective at improving adherence is the key to success here! Pharmacists have a level of expertise when it comes to medication therapy management and therefore can help physicians determine which strategies are most likely to be successful with specific patients.

Pharmaceutical Care Helps Patients Improve Their Quality Of Life

If pharmacists aren't involved then it's likely that many of these concerns will go unaddressed; this is where they step-in by providing education and support issues like smoking cessation, weight loss, diabetes management, and hypertension! These issues may seem unrelated to medication therapies, but they are all serious concerns that can be improved through education, follow-up care, and tailored treatment plans. It's the difference between being sick or living a high quality life.

Pharmacists Can Help You Improve Patient Adherence Rates By Working With Your Healthcare Team

Working together with pharmacists is one of the best ways to improve medication adherence rates and ensure that patients are receiving maximum benefit from their medications. Pharmacists can offer patient education, dispensing convenience, team collaboration within care settings, and cost reduction for medications. These are just some of the ways in which pharmacists can help improve patient adherence and lead to better outcomes.

Using a pharmacist as part of your healthcare team is one of the most effective means of improving medication adherence rates; community pharmacists are on the frontline of healthcare and offer an effective solution for decreasing missed doses, increasing compliance with treatment plans, and improving patients' quality of life!

Pharmacists Can Be The Key To Patient Adherence

Patients who don't follow through on their treatment plans cost the system a significant amount of money and this is where pharmacies can step-in by providing education, support, and access to medication management services! Pharmacists are an important part of any healthcare team which helps providers meet common goals such as better outcomes at lower costs; working together with pharmacists will help improve patients' adherence rates and ensure that they're receiving the maximum benefit from their medications.

If you have any questions about patient adherence supplies, please reach out to us at Total Pharmacy Supply and we'd be happy to help you find the right solution!