Medication effectiveness is dependent on whether the drug is taken in the correct dosage, at the right time, and as prescribed by healthcare providers. The World Health Organization estimates that 50% of patients take their medications incorrectly, thus costing the U.S. healthcare system and consumers approximately $300 billion each year. In a recent article in Nursing Clinics of North America, University of Missouri researchers suggest a personal systems approach when confronting medication nonadherence. This type of approach focuses on integrating medication intake into daily routines and involving supportive individuals to aid in taking medications correctly.
Cynthia Russell, associate professor of nursing, and Todd Ruppar, assistant professor at the Sinclair School of Nursing, say teaching patients about the dangers and subsequent costs of taking medications improperly is not enough to change patients’ behavior. Rather, they recommend assessing individuals’ daily routines, suggesting methods to create simpler medication regimens, tracking adherence, and evaluating whether the medications were taken correctly.
“Previously, the focus has been on the personal characteristics of the patient such as knowledge about how the medication works, motivation to take it, depression and other cognitive barriers,” Russell said. “Instead, we need to give patients practical ways to adhere to their medication regimens, like putting pills next to the coffee maker as a reminder to take them each morning or using technology like cell phones or computers to set reminders to take medications.”
According to Russell and Ruppar, there are considerable costs connected with medication nonadherence. Patients would likely save money and prevent additional health problems (hospitalizations, surgeries) if they took their medications as prescribed.
“Patients often go back to their health care providers saying their health has not improved, so they assume that their medication isn’t working,” Ruppar said. “Prescribers usually start with one drug, then recommend a combination of medications. However, if patients took them correctly they likely wouldn’t need the additional drugs.”
Source: University of Missouri.