Medication adherence: process for implementation

Abstract

Phil Mendys,1,2 Leah L Zullig,3 Rebecca Burkholder,4 Bradi B Granger,5 Hayden B Bosworth3,5,6 1Pfizer Inc, Medical Affairs, New York, NY, USA; 2Division of Cardiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; 3Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; 4National Consumers League, Washington, DC, USA; 5School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; 6Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Abstract: Improving medication adherence is a critically important, but often enigmatic objective of patients, providers, and the overall health care system. Increasing medication adherence has the potential to reduce health care costs while improving care quality, patient satisfaction and health outcomes. While there are a number of papers that describe the benefits of medication adherence in terms of cost, safety, outcomes, or quality of life, there are limited reviews that consider how best to seamlessly integrate tools and processes directed at improving medication adherence. We will address processes for implementing medication adherence interventions with the goal of better informing providers and health care systems regarding the safe and effective use of medications. Keywords: medication adherence, pharmacy, policy, health care systems, self-management, patient education