What is Medication Adherence?
Medication adherence occurs when a patient takes their medications according to the prescribed dosage, time, frequency, and direction. A breakdown in any one of these elements has the potential to result in unanticipated side effects and complications. Studies show that:
- Half of all patients do not take their medications as prescribed
- More than 1 in 5 new prescriptions go unfilled
- Adherence is lowest among patients with chronic illnesses.
What Are the Effects of Poor Medication Adherence?
Poor medication adherence, or non-adherence, limits effective management and control of chronic illnesses. Non-adherence increases the likelihood of preventable disease progression, increased hospitalizations, avoidable doctor and emergency room visits, and other problems arising from poor health, which can significantly increase costs.
What Can Be Done?
A growing body of evidence suggests that medication adherence programs have the potential to reduce health spending and, in the process, generate significant savings for taxpayers. Policies to promote medication adherence have the potential to improve health and significantly reduce health spending.
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