OnSiteClinics.Org

Prescription Medication Adherence Studies

We typically think of research studies being done by universities, medical schools, and the like.  But, Walgreens recently presented and released the results of three clinical studies on medication compliance.  One in particular was the “Impact of Community Pharmacist-Led Counseling on Patient Medication Adherence.”   The study of patients who were newly prescribed statins or thyroid-replacement showed an increase from 44% before counseling to 56% after counseling for “medication possession.”   The results were presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy’s 24th Annual Meeting in San Francisco this April.

We don’t know what the scientific difference is between “medication possession” and adherence, but the presumption is that if the patient has the medication, he/she is taking it.  Overall, the change in “possession” rates would seem to indicate that pharmacy counseling has a meaningful impact on compliance, and compliance is ultimately the goal in controlling the disease with the help of medications, right?  Those on-site clinics which have pharmacies included in their offerings may use this study to add or reinforce existing counseling services.