How Pharmacy Partners Can Help Improve Medication Success

Prescription medicines, when used as prescribed, can be helpful in treating many illnesses, if not lifesaving. However, even the most effective medications only work when medication adherence is consistent, and prescriptions are regularly filled and taken as prescribed.
Generally, medication adherence of 80% or greater is required for a drug to be effective. Unfortunately, it’s estimated that 125,000 deaths in the United States each year can be attributed to patients not following through on taking medications as prescribed, as well as up to half of treatment failures and a quarter of hospitalizations every year. Furthermore, medication nonadherence is contributing to the rising cost of healthcare to the tune of $100 billion to $300 billion.
Today, pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare provider, with nearly seven in 10 Americans indicating that they prefer pharmacies for their healthcare needs because of their convenient location and evening and weekend hours of operation. As licensed health professionals, they are perfectly poised to open the door to better patient education — and better health—as they are experts in the proper dosing of medications, drug interactions and the conditions for which they are indicated or contraindicated.
Although some pharmaceutical companies recognize this, not all do, and they may be missing out on a key conduit for reaching patients both directly and through pharmacist-led digital interventions. Consider the following ways in which pharmacy partners can help patients overcome adherence barriers and impact patient retention.
Improved Medication Adherence
Faced with adherence drop-off rates as high as 50% from the first time a patient fills a medication to the first refill, pharma-pharmacy partnerships can help improve adherence and retention by driving one additional fill per patient per year.
Pharmacy-driven programs can significantly enhance medication adherence among patients. By working closely with pharmacists, pharma manufacturers can educate patients about the importance of sticking to their prescribed medication regimens, thereby increasing the likelihood of treatment success and better health outcomes.
Enhanced Patient Support
Although healthcare providers will likely always be a primary source of information when questions arise, there are opportunities to expand patient education through pharmacists or digital channels.
Through pharmacist intervention programs, pharma companies can prompt pharmacists within their clinical workflow to offer patients personalized care, including condition management and lifestyle modification strategies, leading to positive behavior change and healthier lives. Nearly 300 published studies show that pharmacist-provided medication management results in significantly improved health outcomes.
Looking for ways to leverage your pharmacy partners to improve patients’ medication success? Contact Outcomes to learn how to get started today.