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Aging group awards first IT grants to support med adherence

Showing strong support for technology dissemination, the Center for Technology and Aging has awarded $477,000 to five groups in an effort to boost medication adherence among older patients with chronic conditions

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TabSafe introduces web-accessible med dispenser

TabSafe's new device is designed to securely store and dispense a patient's medication according to their prescription. Web accessibility allows caregivers to check and refill prescriptions and monitor their daily metrics.

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Mr. Adherence Goes To Washington

A broad coalition of 27 large-scale healthcare organizations painted a stark picture of the costs of medication non adherence for members of The House and Senate this past November, appealing to lawmakers to tackle the stubborn problem of patient noncompliance in health-reform proposals advancing in Congress.

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Why Do Patients Skip Diabetes, Pain Meds?

According to a study of 245 patients in the December issue of Diabetes Care, economic pressures, mood disorders and negative opinion of medication figure into non-adherence patterns.

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Don't knock it till you try it

In those critical first 30 days of therapy, discontinuation rates for medication-naïve patients are reportedly 17.4 to 42.6 per cent higher than for medication-experienced patients, regardless of the drug class prescribed.

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Employers Have Adherence On The Brain

89% of employers agree: medication adherence is an important factor in employee health and well-being. According to the NPC sponsored study, 95% of employers surveyed say they are taking action via employee education and prescription reminders by e-mail.

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Medication Adherence Varies Between Races

Elderly black Americans use fewer medications than whites and are more likely to skip taking their meds, as detailed in a recent study comprised of 200 patients aged 60 and older.

The most common problems for both whites and blacks were: medication non-adherence (42 percent vs. 68 percent), under treatment (83 percent vs. 87 percent), suboptimal drug use (59 percent vs. 66 percent), and suboptimal dosing (48 percent vs. 56 percent).

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Peer support and text reminders can only do so much for HIV treatment adherence

In the case of antiretroviral treatment, adherence programs have been found to be only partially effective. Peer support improved adherence in the short-term, whereas text messaging had no effect on reported pill-taking.

Antiretroviral treatment can significantly improve the health and life expectancy of HIV-positive people if taken rigorously; however, many patients do not achieve high levels of adherence.

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We Get More Time With Our Doctors – Not Less

Despite decreasing income and increasing pressures for greater efficiency among primary care doctors, Massachusetts researchers have reported that between 1997 and 2005, the average visit with their adult patients increased from 18 minutes to nearly 21.

The data shows doctors spending more time with older patients and less time with racial/ethnic minority groups. The extra face-time led to improvement in disease-screening, but no impact on the quality of drug prescription or diet/exercise counseling.

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Link Between Adherence, Asthma & Honesty

A significant proportion of patients with difficult-to-control asthma do not adhere to prescribed corticosteroid therapy according to a study conducted by researchers in Northern Ireland. Of 182 patients, 63 filled 50% or fewer inhaled medication prescriptions. 88% admitted poor adherence with inhaled therapy after initially denying this.

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GoodStart Pilot Adds 2 Refills per Patient Over 9 Months

Retrospective analysis of retail pharmacy prescription data from 1,776 patients taking a chronic cardiovascular medication between May 2008 and September 2009, revealed that Pleio GoodStart™ had a highly significant impact on medication adherence, resulting in patients refilling an average of two additional 30-day prescriptions during their initial 9-month period on the medication (p<0.001).

Data also showed that patients who participated in the GoodStart™ program refilled their prescriptions an average of ten days sooner than control group participants. Collectively, these data demonstrate a significant, sustained improvement in patient medication adherence with the Pleio GoodStart™ program.

"Improving people's experience with new prescription medications involves many disciplines. Pleio's technology, pharmacy and manufacturer partners are equally dedicated to improving the patient experience with new prescriptions. These results show that when elderly patients are carefully listened to, stimulated in language they can relate to, and empowered with performance support, adherence challenges are easily overcome."

Pleio GoodStart connects physicians, patients, pharmacies, families and pharmaceutical manufacturers toward their common goal of improved patient adherence. Physicians gain the assurance that their patients will be well-supported and that future patient appointments can be more effective. Pharmacies are provided a new perspective on C&P through training and feedback on patient progress. Patients receive unprecedented interest in their welfare throughout the medication adoption phase, with up to 75 contacts during their first 100 days on therapy. Family and friend support is stimulated through awareness of the issue of adherence and their potential to be an advocate.