OnSiteClinics.Org

New Data on the Cost of Medication Non-Compliance

Three published studies were recently summarized in a white paper by Healthentic (a population health management company) demonstrate that “. . it costs the U.S. health care system between $100-$289 billion every year in direct costs” when patients don’t take their medications correctly, and “Losses in productivity due to health related factors could multiply that by 2.3 times.” These are staggering numbers caused by non-compliance. More focus on helping patients comply can drive that number down dramatically; but how to do that remains the question. Healthentic has some suggestions, the first of which has always been known – help reduce the cost of the medications to the patients. Employers can do that by providing a pharmacy plan with lower deductibles. They can also focus on populations with specific diseases requiring on-going medications for intervention, education, and assistance in maintaining medication regimen compliance.