By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Healthcare Breakthroughs: 3 Ways to Improve Your Chances of Fighting Obesity
    September 22, 2017
    Bone Marrow Donation and Compensation: My Moral Dilemma
    December 11, 2013
    health problems caused by poor cleanliness
    5 Serious Health Problems Caused By Poor Cleanliness
    September 15, 2020
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Person-Centered HealthCare: Medication Adherence
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Person-Centered HealthCare: Medication Adherence
Specialties

Person-Centered HealthCare: Medication Adherence

joan justice
joan justice
Share
5 Min Read
Image
SHARE

A key component of illness management is the use of prescribed medications.  For those who have several chronic conditions, there are usually numerous prescribed medications to keep track of and their effectiveness and benefits depend on the patient’s adherence.  Non-adherence (failure or delay in refilling prescriptions, cutting dosages, reducing frequency of administration) can lead to significant consequences.

A key component of illness management is the use of prescribed medications.  For those who have several chronic conditions, there are usually numerous prescribed medications to keep track of and their effectiveness and benefits depend on the patient’s adherence.  Non-adherence (failure or delay in refilling prescriptions, cutting dosages, reducing frequency of administration) can lead to significant consequences.

Non-adherence is common and is an enormous burden to the healthcare system.  Adherence may seem like a straightforward behavior – but it is complex.  The patient must make an appointment with a physician, get prescribed medication, take the prescription to be filled, remember to administer the medication at the appropriate time and in the appropriate dosage, refill the prescription and return to the provider for on-going monitoring.  A paper put out by Duke University states that half of the 3.2 billion annual prescriptions dispensed in the US are not taken as prescribed and that patients with chronic conditions adhere only to 50-60 percent of medications as prescribed.  They go on to say that medication non-adherence leads to approximately 125,000 deaths per year in the US.

Because non-adherence is a complex issue, the solution is multi-faceted.  The patient and the medical team must work together to make sure the patient understands the importance of following the medication regimen.  The patient’s family plays a crucial role here as they can work directly with the patient.  The provider needs to follow established guidelines and provide resources for patients and their families about medications and how to prevent non-adherence.Image

More Read

How to Get Permanent Relief from PCOS?
To Test or Not to Test: The Value of Screening Tests for Prostate and Ovarian Cancer in the US Today
Exploring the Role of Advanced Imaging in Cancer Diagnosis
8 Things That Happen to Your Body After Birth
Top 6 Birth Injuries That Could Occur When Giving Birth

There have been several campaigns for medication adherence over the years.  Recently, the National Consumers League and its partners have developed a Script Your Future campaign which is a multi-year public education effort focused mainly on patients with 3 chronic conditions: diabetes, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease.  The ScriptYourFuture website contains tools for providers and patients such as a Script Your Future wallet card (see image at left) that helps keep track of medications and dosages.  This card is available in Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese.  There is an Adherence Estimator which is a questionnaire that helps patients and caregivers have a conversation about medication adherence.  There is a even a Medicine Reminder that patients can sign up for by giving their phone number and a Pledge that patients can create for themselves or their loved one.

 The website also has helpful information on the 3 key chronic conditions and why medication adherence is so important for these diseases.

Another good site that talks about the importance of medication adherence is MerckEngage.  MerckEngage also has an adherence estimator questionnaire and provides the download of a wallet card for listing medications.  They have information on various diseases and the medications that treat them.  And they have Condition Tracking Tools for asthma, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, migraine and weight/BMI

Image

There are numerous other medication adherence aids from various companies that I found during a web search. Vitality makes GlowCaps, a chip in the cap of a pill bottle that monitors when it is opened and tracks for medication adherence that way.

Image

 

 

 

 

 

Patient Reminders (in the UK) offers patients the opportunity to sign up for SMS messaging to improve adherence.  E-Pill offers several compliance aids, including a vibrating wristwatch, pill box and automatic pill dispenser.

Poor medication adherence leads to considerable morbidity, mortality, and avoidable health care costs.  The patient, the patient’s immediate family, caregivers, professional medical team and provider network need to work together to ensure that everyone is well aware of the issues. 

Take the Pledge; Take Your Meds!

 Sources:

MerckEngage: Make the Most of Your Medicine

Script Your Future: Tools

Duke University Med Ctr: Medication Adherence-Making the Case for Increased Awareness

If you like this post, please read other posts in the series on the Person-Centered HealthCare main page. And if you have a story to tell that may be a fit with our series, please comment below or email me at joan@socialmediatoday.com

TAGGED:Person-Centered HealthCarepharma
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

technology in medical research
The Tools Helping Medical Researchers See the Full Picture
News Technology
August 3, 2025
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025

You Might also Like

SpecialtiesWellness

8 Reasons Why Travel Is The Secret To A Healthy Life

February 4, 2019
how to handle tooth pain
Dental health

5 Ways to Deal With Tooth Pain at Home

April 13, 2023

New Oral Blood Cancer Treatments Bring True Excitement in CLL and CML

December 16, 2012
SpecialtiesWellness

10 Common Issues Aging Adults Face

February 23, 2018
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?