Medicare studies in the USA have indicated that for every $1 spent on remote patient monitoring
it saves approximately $10 in healthcare costs
it saves approximately $10 in healthcare costs
Medication Compliance Is The Degree To Which A Patient Correctly Follows Medications As Prescribed
- ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT A LACK OF MEDICATION COMPLIANCE CAUSES NEARLY 125,000 DEATHS IN THE USA ANNUALLY
- THE COST OF MEDICATION NON-COMPLIANCE TO THE US HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEM $100 - $300 BILLION PER ANNUM
- THE INABILITY TO MANAGE MEDS COMPLIANCE (TAKING MEDS AS PRESCRIBED) MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 23% OF NURSING HOME ADMISSIONS
- 1 IN 10 HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS ARE DUE TO INCORRECT MEDICATION COMPLIANCE
- MILLIONS OF NORTH AMERICANS TAKE MEDICATIONS, YET OVER 50% OF THEM ARE MEDICATION NON-COMPLIANT
- THE NUMBER ONE REASON THAT PEOPLE ARE MEDICATION NON-COMPLIANT IS BECAUSE THEY FORGET TO TAKE THEIR MEDS AS PRESCRIBED
- ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT A LACK OF MEDICATION COMPLIANCE CAUSES NEARLY 125,000 DEATHS IN THE USA ANNUALLY
- THE COST OF MEDICATION NON-COMPLIANCE TO THE US HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEM $100 - $300 BILLION PER ANNUM
- THE INABILITY TO MANAGE MEDS COMPLIANCE (TAKING MEDS AS PRESCRIBED) MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 23% OF NURSING HOME ADMISSIONS
- 1 IN 10 HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS ARE DUE TO INCORRECT MEDICATION COMPLIANCE
- MILLIONS OF NORTH AMERICANS TAKE MEDICATIONS, YET OVER 50% OF THEM ARE MEDICATION NON-COMPLIANT
- THE NUMBER ONE REASON THAT PEOPLE ARE MEDICATION NON-COMPLIANT IS BECAUSE THEY FORGET TO TAKE THEIR MEDS AS PRESCRIBED
The Need For Medication Compliance — It is widely considered by the health care industry that the inability to manage medication compliance may be responsible for up 23% of nursing home admissions. Also 1 out of 10 hospital admissions are due to incorrect medication compliance.
Among the millions of Canadians currently taking prescription medications, more than 50% are non-compliant in some manner, most often because they take their medications less frequently than prescribed.
Among the millions of Canadians currently taking prescription medications, more than 50% are non-compliant in some manner, most often because they take their medications less frequently than prescribed.
The New York Times reported on an “out of control epidemic” in the U.S. that costs more and affects more people in the U.S. than any disease Americans are concerned about right now—and it is 100 percent preventable. The culprit? Medication non-compliance.
A review in the Annals of Internal Medicine estimates that a lack of compliance causes nearly 125,000 deaths, 10 percent of hospitalizations and costs the already strained US healthcare system between $100–$289 billion a year.
A review in the Annals of Internal Medicine estimates that a lack of compliance causes nearly 125,000 deaths, 10 percent of hospitalizations and costs the already strained US healthcare system between $100–$289 billion a year.
The CDC (Centers For Disease Control & Prevention) Wrote:
"Adherence to prescribed medications is associated with improved clinical outcomes for chronic disease management and reduced mortality from chronic conditions (1). Conversely, nonadherence is associated with higher rates of hospital admissions, suboptimal health outcomes, increased morbidity and mortality, and increased health care costs (2). In the United States, 3.8 billion prescriptions are written annually (3). Approximately one in five new prescriptions are never filled, and among those filled, approximately 50% are taken incorrectly, particularly with regard to timing, dosage, frequency, and duration (4). Whereas rates of nonadherence across the United States have remained relatively stable, direct health care costs associated with nonadherence have grown to approximately $100–$300 billion of U.S. health care dollars spent annually (5,6). Improving medication adherence is a public health priority and could reduce the economic and health burdens of many diseases and chronic conditions (7)."
References:
"Adherence to prescribed medications is associated with improved clinical outcomes for chronic disease management and reduced mortality from chronic conditions (1). Conversely, nonadherence is associated with higher rates of hospital admissions, suboptimal health outcomes, increased morbidity and mortality, and increased health care costs (2). In the United States, 3.8 billion prescriptions are written annually (3). Approximately one in five new prescriptions are never filled, and among those filled, approximately 50% are taken incorrectly, particularly with regard to timing, dosage, frequency, and duration (4). Whereas rates of nonadherence across the United States have remained relatively stable, direct health care costs associated with nonadherence have grown to approximately $100–$300 billion of U.S. health care dollars spent annually (5,6). Improving medication adherence is a public health priority and could reduce the economic and health burdens of many diseases and chronic conditions (7)."
References:
- Vrijens B, De Geest S, Hughes DA, et al. ; ABC Project Team. A new taxonomy for describing and defining adherence to medications. Br J Colin Pharmacol 2012;73:691–705. CrossRef PubMed
- DiMatteo MR. Variations in patients’ adherence to medical recommendations: a quantitative review of 50 years of research. Med Care 2004;42:200–9. CrossRef PubMed
- Cutler DM, Everett W. Thinking outside the pillbox—medication adherence as a priority for health care reform. N Engl J Med 2010;362:1553–5. CrossRef PubMed
- Osterberg L, Blaschke T. Adherence to medication. N Engl J Med 2005;353:487–97. CrossRef PubMed
- Iuga AO, McGuire MJ. Adherence and health care costs. Risk Manage Health Policy 2014;7:35–44 . CrossRef PubMed
- Viswanathan M, Golin CE, Jones CD, et al. Interventions to improve adherence to self-administered medications for chronic diseases in the United States: a systematic review. Ann Intern Med 2012;157:785–95. CrossRef PubMed
- National Center for Health Statistics. National health expenditures, average annual percent change, and percent distribution, by type of expenditure: United States, selected years 1960–2014. Hyattsville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2015. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2015/094.pdf
Almost half of all Americans (approximately 133 million people) live with at least one chronic disease. 1 Because ongoing use of prescription medication is a key component of treatment for chronic conditions, medication adherence—or making sure that patients take the drugs prescribed for them—is a matter of great importance to policy makers, insurance plan sponsors, physicians, and patients.
Patients who adhere to their medication regimens enjoy better health outcomes 2,3 and make less use of urgent care and inpatient hospital services, compared to patients with similar medical conditions who are not adherent. 4,5 Yet despite the evidence of improved outcomes from adherence, the World Health Organization reports average medication compliance rates in developed countries of just 50 percent. 6
References:
Patients who adhere to their medication regimens enjoy better health outcomes 2,3 and make less use of urgent care and inpatient hospital services, compared to patients with similar medical conditions who are not adherent. 4,5 Yet despite the evidence of improved outcomes from adherence, the World Health Organization reports average medication compliance rates in developed countries of just 50 percent. 6
References:
- 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Chronic diseases and health promotion [Internet]. Atlanta (GA) : CDC ; 2010 Jul 7 [cited 2010 Nov 29 ]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/NCCdphp/overview.htm Google Scholar
- 2 DiMatteo MR , Giordani PJ , Lepper HS , Croghan TW . Patient adherence and medical treatment outcomes: a meta-analysis . Med Care . 2002 ; 40 ( 9 ): 794 – 811 . Crossref, Medline , Google Scholar
- 3 McDermott MM , Schmitt B , Wallner E . Impact of medication nonadherence on coronary heart disease outcomes: a critical review . Arch Intern Med . 1997 ; 157 ( 17 ): 1921 – 9 . Crossref, Medline , Google Scholar
- 4 Lau DT , Nau DP . Oral antihyperglycemic medication nonadherence and subsequent hospitalization among individuals with type 2 diabetes . Diabetes Care . 2004 ; 27 ( 9 ): 2149 – 53 . Crossref, Medline , Google Scholar
- 5 Sokol MC , McGuigan KA , Verbrugge RR , Epstein RS . Impact of medication adherence on hospitalization risk and healthcare cost . Med Care . 2005 ; 43 ( 6 ): 521 – 30 . Crossref, Medline , Google Scholar
- 6 World Health Organization . Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for action [Internet]. Geneva : WHO ; 2003 [cited 2010 June 24 ]. Available from: http://www.who.int/chp/knowledge/publications/adherence_report/en/index.html Google Scholar
Prescription Medications Among Seniors — A survey in the United States of a representative sampling of 2206 community-dwelling adults (aged 62 through 85 years) was conducted by in-home interviews and use of medication logs between 2010 and 2011. At least one prescription medication was used by 87 percent of the residents. Five or more prescription medications were used by 36 percent, and 38 percent used over-the-counter medications. 55% of seniors don’t take their medication according to their Doctor’s orders.
In a sample of Medicare beneficiaries discharged from an acute hospitalization to a skilled nursing facility, patients were prescribed an average of 14 medications.
In a sample of Medicare beneficiaries discharged from an acute hospitalization to a skilled nursing facility, patients were prescribed an average of 14 medications.
Polypharmacy — Polypharmacy is defined simply as the use of multiple medications by a patient. The precise minimum number of medications used to define "polypharmacy" is variable, but generally ranges from 5 to 10.
The issue of polypharmacy is of particular concern in older people who, compared with younger individuals, tend to have more disease conditions for which therapies are prescribed. It has been estimated that 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have five or more chronic conditions and 50 percent receive five or more medications. Among ambulatory older adults with cancer, 84 percent were receiving five or more and 43 percent were receiving 10 or more medications.
The issue of polypharmacy is of particular concern in older people who, compared with younger individuals, tend to have more disease conditions for which therapies are prescribed. It has been estimated that 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have five or more chronic conditions and 50 percent receive five or more medications. Among ambulatory older adults with cancer, 84 percent were receiving five or more and 43 percent were receiving 10 or more medications.
