What is medication adherence?
Medication adherence can be best described as how well a patient follows their personal, unique health plan. A health plan includes taking medications as prescribed and following any specific instructions associated with their medications, including lifestyle habits, diet, and schedule.
Why is it important?
It is important to encourage those who fill their prescriptions at your pharmacy to adhere to their treatment as it determines treatment effectiveness, prevents complications, and improves overall health.
Common reasons for non-adherence:
- Forgetting doses
- Misunderstanding instructions
- Side effects
- Cost concerns
- Feeling better and stopping treatment too soon
Tips for improving adherence:
- Use pill organizers or alarms/reminders
- Link medication taking to daily routines
- Communicate with doctor or pharmacist about concerns
- Understand your medication schedule and purpose
- Keep a list of medications
What is your pharmacy’s role?
As a provider of a vital resource in your community, you can have a major impact on those who enter your store regularly.
Your pharmacy can educate patients on the benefits of adherence and answer questions about their prescriptions.
As a pharmacist, it is important to explain why medication adherence matters, how to take prescribed drugs correctly, and what side effects to watch out for.
Offer tools in-store like pill organizers and set up medication synchronization so all the refills are due at the same time, and set up automated reminders for patients
“At EPN, we provide tools to our members and enable access to clinical platforms that help pharmacies track medication adherence and identify opportunities for intervention,” says EPN Director of Clinical Pharmacy Operations, Bob McGee. “We use payer program data available through these platforms to deliver adherence analytics, targeted outreach, and support to our members.”
Learn more about how EPN can help your pharmacy improve adherence by contacting us today!