Poor medication adherence is a major problem that impacts stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem—most notably patients, who see worse health outcomes when they fail to take their medication as prescribed. This long-standing issue within healthcare also continues to be a widespread one, with the World Health Organization estimating that some 20% to 30% of prescriptions go unfilled.
To overcome adherence obstacles and help patients not only fill their prescriptions but successfully initiate and continue therapy, support needs to begin the moment a prescription is written and continue throughout the patient journey. But first, it’s essential to understand what kind of support patients actually need.
Discover the Potential Reasons Behind Nonadherence
Input from patients is crucial to understanding the real-world barriers they face that can impact their ability to adhere to their prescribed medication as well as how those barriers manifest. Financial challenges obviously make filling and refilling prescriptions more difficult, but logistical issues such as lack of transportation or childcare also can keep patients from reaching infusion centers, for example.
Patients also may harbor concerns that keep them from taking certain therapies. Hesitancy around a medication’s method of administration—such as a fear of needles—is common, and in many cases, avoidable if those concerns are expressed upfront. Patients also may worry about potential side effects or becoming too dependent on certain medications. But each patient faces distinct adherence barriers and point-of-care companies can help uncover these specific barriers in a patient’s individual treatment journey.
Addressing Adherence Barriers Immediately and Continuously
If patients’ medication concerns and needs are identified at the point of care, they can be addressed at the outset of treatment. Tailored educational content and support resources that are personalized based on each patient’s unique needs can help ensure successful patient starts and meet adherence challenges head-on.
But two-way communication between patients and brands shouldn’t end there. Barriers to adherence can change over time, so it’s important for brands to continuously solicit patient feedback and keep communicating with patients throughout their treatment journey. That communication is key to tackling issues that may surface down the line, and reaching patients at the point of care—whether it’s before a follow-up appointment, at the pharmacy, or at another critical moment in care—can help them stay on track with their prescriptions.
