Medication Adherence Definition
Medication adherence is the measure to which patients adhere to the proper schedule, dosing instructions, and other requirements of their prescription medication. Maintaining adherence to medication will give your clients the best possible chance of a successful outcome on that medication. It can also reduce each client’s risk of negative side effects or complications from the medication or interactions with other medications. At West TN Pharmaceutical Care, our team is committed to helping you and your clients understand the importance of medication adherence in Jackson, TN. Call us today to find out how we can help patients’ medication adherence.
What Is Medication Adherence?
The medication adherence definition according to the American Medical Association is a patient who takes 80% of their prescribed medications. If a patient takes less than 80% of their prescribed medication, they are considered non-adherent. Most patients are essentially 50/50 with regards to patient medication adherence. This can cause adverse reactions and reduce the efficacy of patient prescription medication. Unfortunately, patients often don’t feel comfortable telling their doctor if they aren’t taking their medication as prescribed. Some patients don’t understand the instructions for taking medication, or don’t recognize or fully comprehend the risks associated with non-adherence. This is why we are committed to improving medication adherence among our clients’ patients.
Benefits of Patient Adherence to Medication
Patient adherence to medication gives them the best possible outcome for their medications and conditions. When they take medication as prescribed, they can manage their condition safely and effectively. Medication non-adherence can cause adverse effects, negative side effects, worsening health conditions, complications, hospitalizations, and even death. The benefits of our medication adherence solutions include:
- Reduced risk of negative side effects and complications.
- Improved chances of remission, reduction of symptoms, reversal of condition, or other positive outcomes for treatment.
- Reduced morbidity.
- Lower costs of patient care.
- Improved public health.
- Lower chances of drug resistance.
Factors That Impact Medication Adherence
In certain situations, patient medication adherence is much harder to maintain. Non-compliance or medication non-adherence can be caused by factors such as:
- Forgetfulness.
- Dementia.
- Confusing or contraindicatory instructions on medications.
- Unwanted or intolerable side effects.
- Temporary worsening of the condition or side effects.
- Medication is too expensive to afford.
- Mobility or transportation issues make it hard for a patient to schedule follow-up visits or get to a pharmacy.
- Lack of education or transparency on information about the medication.
Our Medication Adherence Solutions
There are simple steps we can take towards improving medication adherence among clients:
- If a patient’s condition isn’t under control, we first consider medication non-adherence as a possibility.
- We have developed a straightforward, transparent method for assessing patient adherence to medication.
- Our environment is shame and blame-free so that our clients feel comfortable talking to us about their patients’ medications.
- We make every attempt to truly understand why a patient isn’t taking their medication as prescribed.
- We maintain a positive environment, so our clients trust us to share information with us about their behavior and habits.
- We find ways of improving medication adherence that work for each client or patient individually.
- We involve the client in the medication adherence plan.
- Our goal is to set each client up for success with patient medication adherence.
Patient Medication Adherence Programs Help You Stay Healthy
Medication adherence programs are designed to focus on patient education. They also incorporate proactive counseling, so each patient fully understands the importance of taking their medication as directed, as well as the risks and dangers associated with medication non-adherence. We discuss with clients how patients must properly take medication as directed, and what patients can expect with regards to side effects or other unwanted physical, mental, or emotional effects of their medication. Our goal is to reduce medication overuse and underuse so that patients can stay happy and healthy.
Why Choose West TN Pharmaceutical Care
We offer a variety of solutions that make it easier for clients and patients to understand their prescriptions and maintain medication adherence. We offer color-coded blister packaging to better sort medications at the time of administration. We also offer medication that is packaged based on the calendar days of the month. Our bar-coded Rx labels make it easier for facilities to scan medication into electronic medication and health record programs for tracking and management.
Call Today for Help Improving Medication Adherence in Jackson, TN
Call us today or contact us online to request assistance in improving medication adherence in Jackson, TN. We genuinely understand the importance of medication adherence, and each member of our team is dedicated to finding medication adherence solutions that work for each individual patient. Our goal is to make it simple, easy, and convenient for patients to take medications as prescribed.