Medication nonadherence is a growing issue, especially among patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, costing the U.S. healthcare system up to $300 billion annually in avoidable expenses. Studies reveal that 50% of patients don’t take their medications as prescribed, contributing to over 125,000 deaths and 10% of hospitalizations each year. Nonadherence can also delay outcomes when legal or medical teams coordinate work comp pharmacy needs for injury cases.
Why Patients Don’t Take Their Medications as Prescribed
Dr. Hayden B. Bosworth, a professor at Duke University, notes that as much as 80% of nonadherence may be intentional due to factors like poor communication, financial strain, and complex drug regimens. Despite efforts to find effective interventions, nonadherence remains a major challenge across all disease conditions, especially for cardiovascular and diabetic medications. For broader background, see the CDC’s medication adherence data.
The complexity of this issue is reflected in the fact that while many diabetic patients keep their appointments, they often fail to monitor their glucose levels consistently. With limited time during office visits, physicians may be unaware of their patients’ medication habits, adding to the challenge of addressing nonadherence effectively.
Rising Prescription Rates Increase the Cost Burden
In recent years, prescription rates have surged by 39%, with four out of five American adults taking at least one medication weekly. This rise has escalated the need for interventions, particularly as chronic conditions drive 80% of healthcare costs for employers. These rising volumes also influence how workers’ compensation pharmacy services manage long-term medication needs for injured workers.
One promising approach involves personalized follow-up phone calls to patients by care managers, which has shown positive results in improving hypertension medication adherence among high-risk Medicaid patients. Other strategies, such as using blister packaging to help patients synchronize dosages and utilizing electronic health records (EHRs) to identify nonadherence, are also being explored.
Despite these efforts, finding the right intervention to improve medication adherence remains a challenge for healthcare providers across the country. For organizations managing injury-related prescriptions, structured support such as work comp pharmacy solutions for healthcare providers can help maintain adherence during recovery.
Information cited from Source: Duke Health, Medication Nonadherence Increases Health Costs, Hospital Readmissions, accessed 10/7/2024