Evaluation and improvement of adherence to medication

Abstract

Medication adherence refers to the extent to which a patient takes medication according to prescription. In many cases, adherence to medication is defined as the proportion of prescribed drugs taken as prescribed over a certain period. However, there is no satisfactory level of adherence that can be applied uniformly to all diseases and medications. Patients with poor adherence experience worsening of conditions, complications, and increased risk for death, which increases medical expenses. Therefore, to improve medication adherence, healthcare providers should try to identify poor adherence, adjust prescriptions to optimize treatment according to the patient’s lifestyle, and educate patients to help them understand the value of medical treatment and the effects of adherence. The most practical way to identify poor adherence during clinical visits is by asking patients about their medication adherence in a non-judgmental manner. Reducing the number of doses is more effective than reducing the number of tablets to increase compliance. It is necessary to adopt innovative methods based on information technology in our healthcare system because of the labor-intensive nature of educational intervention to improve adherence.