Summary: This blog post explores the key roles of pharmacists in improving medication adherence.
The Impact of Pharmacists on Medication Adherence
According to research, approximately 50% of patients do not take their medications as prescribed. This is said to be due to several factors, like the cost of medications, forgetfulness, and complexity of the medication regimen.
Improving medication adherence is one of the crucial responsibilities of pharmacists because, according to the World Health Organization, adherence to medication can have a more direct impact on patients’ health outcomes than even the treatment itself.
A pharmacist’s role goes beyond prescribing and refilling medications, encompassing efforts to help patients achieve optimal health and clinical outcomes.
This blog post explores the key roles of pharmacists in improving medication adherence.
What is Medication Adherence?
Medication adherence may be defined as the extent to which a patient follows their prescribed medication regimen. It includes taking medications at the correct time, in the proper dosage, via the appropriate route, and without unapproved self-medication practices.
For example, if a patient relies more on herbal medicine than their prescribed regimen or takes both without provider guidance, it may lead to non-adherence.
For adherence to be considered, the patient must strictly follow all instructions given by the pharmacist or the healthcare provider regarding the medication.
Factors that Affect a Patient’s Medication Adherence
Different factors affect a patient’s non-adherence to medications. Usually, these factors are specific to the individual, but they may include:
Medication Cost.
Socioeconomic factors have been implicated in the cause of non-adherence multiple times. The cost of getting prescribed medications, especially for people without medical coverage, may be enormous. It is usually amplified in patients who have to manage chronic conditions and need to purchase medications constantly.
Usually, these people are only able to get the medication when they are able to, leading to non-adherence to medication regimens.
Busy Schedules.
This factor applies to business owners, busy moms, office workers, etc. When you have a busy schedule, it is easy to forget about a prescription refill until you need to take your medications and discover that your supply has been exhausted. Busy schedules also prevent patients from showing up for appointments.
Access Challenges.
While 90% of Americans live within 5 miles of a pharmacy, access-related challenges may still contribute to medication non-adherence. Factors such as long wait times, limited pharmacy hours, and patient preference for more convenient options might all impact adherence.
However, pharmacists continuously implement innovative solutions to remove these barriers and improve patient outcomes. Pharmacies have adapted by offering mail-order delivery, extended hours, drive-thru services, and digital prescription management.
By optimizing operations and leveraging technology-driven dispensing models, pharmacists play an essential role in ensuring timely access to medications, ultimately improving adherence and health outcomes.
Understanding Medication Usage.
A lack of understanding of medication use may lead to non-adherence. Patients might take incorrect doses, use medications at inappropriate times, or administer them improperly. This underscores the importance of effective communication and ongoing medication counseling in improving adherence.
Forgetfulness.
Forgetfulness, whether due to a busy lifestyle or cognitive decline from conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s, may contribute to medication non-adherence.
Severity of Health Condition.
The severity of a patient’s health condition may also lead to non-adherence, especially when this severity directly impacts mobile access to pharmaceutical care.
For example, an older adult with limited mobility might be unable to attend a physical appointment or get prescription refills.
Cultural Beliefs.
Some cultures choose to resist Western medicine, making it essential for pharmacists to develop cultural competence. However, the power of cultural competence extends beyond understanding—it serves as a bridge to improving medication adherence.
This skill enables pharmacists to navigate non-adherence rooted in cultural beliefs while fostering trust and delivering patient-centered care.
Previous Treatment Failures.
Disappointment with previous treatments discourage patients from adhering to their medication routine. They may be more inclined to try other alternative therapies regardless of whether they are medically safe.
How Pharmacists Improve Medication Adherence
The role of pharmacists in improving medication adherence is of utmost importance. Pharmacists are usually the last point of contact before a patient begins their treatment or medication routine.
Pharmacists, often referred to as “the medication experts,” serve as key drivers in improving medication adherence, yet success also depends on patients actively engaging in their care.
Through targeted interventions and collaborative strategies, pharmacists help patients overcome adherence barriers, ultimately driving enhanced health outcomes.
Here are some effective strategies for improving medication adherence:
Determine the Level of Adherence.
Before making decisions on the patient’s medication adherence, like changing their medication therapy, pharmacists must first assess the level of adherence and identify the patient’s reasons for non-adherence.
This will help to create a more targeted and effective intervention to enhance the patient’s compliance with their medication regimen.
Different methods are used to assess medication adherence, including questionnaires, laboratory tests, and electronic monitoring.
Offer Quarterly Medication Reviews.
Quarterly medication reviews or medication reconciliation involve reviewing all the patient’s medication records and devising ways to enhance medication adherence every three months.
However, the problem with medication reviews is that the patient might not supply all the necessary information. For example, a patient might be reluctant to disclose to a pharmacist that they are using herbal medications alongside their prescribed drugs.
This is why a pharmacist must establish a strong patient-pharmacist relationship in which patients feel comfortable disclosing all information relevant to their health.
Recommend the Use of Digital Apps.
Telepharmacy services are on the rise, and for patients who value ease of scheduling and prompt access, digital apps are a game changer and help improve medication adherence.
Various effective digital apps, such as Arine, DAWN, Digihaler, etc., are used to monitor patients in real time.
Encourage Early Refills.
Early refills, e.g., 5-7 days before the next fill and when most health plans permit, benefit patients with busy schedules who are unavailable for a pharmacy visit.
Encouraging these patients to come in for early refills will prevent them from missing their daily dosage due to exhausted medication stock.
This is a preventive measure to improve medication adherence.
Optimize Patient Medication Counseling.
Patient medication counseling is one of the strategies that pharmacists implement to improve medication adherence.
Optimizing patient medication counseling involves offering personalized advice to patients based on their unique circumstances.
It begins with understanding their reasons for non-adherence and collectively devising effective strategies to combat the barrier to adherence.
Encourage Single Pharmacy Usage.
As much as electronic health records help provide a comprehensive overview of a patient’s medical records, they are less effective if the patient constantly changes pharmacies or health institutions.
Filling prescriptions in multiple pharmacies makes it difficult to track medications over time. For starters, few pharmacies have access to patients electronic health records.
Also, using a single pharmacy increases the likelihood of the patient’s records being reviewed by the same pharmacist. This will help ensure proper medical reconciliation and review of the medications to predict drug-drug interactions and possible adverse drug reactions accurately.
Simplify Medication Regimens.
Simplifying medication regimens empower pharmacists in improving medication adherence in their patients.
It proves challenging to keep up with complex medication regimens, and pharmacists must develop effective, tailored strategies to simplify these medications.
For example, advanced practice pharmacists optimize therapy by discontinuing ineffective medications, simplifying dosing schedules, and prescribing streamlined regimens to improve patient adherence and overall outcomes.
Here’s a relatable scenario:
A pregnant woman is given her prenatal medications but is non-adherent to them because she has to take multiple pills at different times of the day. The pharmacist then recommends another prenatal medication, in which all her needed vitamins are consolidated into a single pill and taken once a day. This medication routine is the best solution for her because it’s simple and easier, and she’s happy to adhere to it.
Recommend Keeping a Medication List.
A medication list helps ensure proper medication review and reconciliation, especially in emergencies.
The medication list should include the drug’s name, dosage, start date of the regimen, and purpose of use.
Pharmacists encourage their patients to keep this list and bring it with them when they visit the pharmacy.
Utilize Mobile Text Messaging.
Pharmacists utilize text messaging in improving medication adherence.
This involves sending medication pick-up reminders directly to their patient’s mobile devices, reminding patients to refill their prescriptions when the prior one is almost exhausted, and sending appointment reminders.
Thanks to technological advancements, mobile text messaging is integrated into other telepharmacy services and platforms and is available to anyone of any age or socioeconomic group.
Leverage the NCQA Resource Platform.
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) understands the need for improved medication adherence. It has built a suite of resources to assist healthcare professionals interested in improving medication adherence among their patients.
This resource helps with communication and patient education. It contains practical tips and tools that healthcare professionals use to improve communication with patients about their medications.
It also contains patient medicine education guides for both the patient and the healthcare professional, discussion guides for the patient’s follow-up call, how to set up medication quality improvement guides, etc.
Improving Medication Adherence in Pharmacy
Improving medication adherence is a big deal in the pharmaceutical industry.
Medication adherence is vital in ensuring patients take their medications correctly to achieve better health outcomes. Pharmacists have a crucial role in this because they are often the last people patients see before starting their medications.
By understanding each patient’s reasons for non-adherence, pharmacists develop targeted interventions that address these specific reasons.
Pharmacists encourage patients to utilize digital apps, come in for early refills, and stick to a single pharmacy.
On the other hand, pharmacists equip themselves in improving medication adherence through professional training or development. For example, they utilize resources, like NCQA, to improve the efficacy of their patients consultation skills.
Pharmacists also optimize medication regiments by simplifying them for patients.
Medication adherence is achievable but requires the collaborative efforts of all healthcare professionals and patients. Let’s work together to improve the health outcomes of the general public.