|
 Survey
Finds Nearly Three in Four Consumers Fail to Take Medications as
Directed
By David Vaczek
Senior Editor
It's unfortunate, but consumer perception can't always be
trusted. A majority of consumers believe that they are highly
compliant with their prescription drug regimens, yet a national
telephone survey of 1000 adults reveals widespread nonadherence. The
survey was sponsored by the National Community Pharmacists
Association (NCPA; Alexandria, VA) and the nonprofit Pharmacists For
the Protection of Patient Care (P3C).
Such findings make us wonder-could packaging play a role in
keeping patients on track? Or, at the very least, could packaging
alert patients to their own nonadherence so that they can take steps
to remind themselves?
 Sixty-four percent of
the survey respondents said that they follow physicians'
instructions "extremely closely." Yet the survey found that 74% of
respondents admitted to some form of nonadherence.
The results point to a disconnection between consumers' beliefs
and their behavior, the survey found. Officials from NCPA and P3C,
joined by S. Lawrence Kocot, senior advisor to the administrator,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and J. Lyle Bootman,
chairman of P3C, revealed the results in a recent press
conference.
In the survey, 49% said they had forgotten to take a prescribed
medication, and 31% said they did not fill a prescription they were
given. Twenty-nine percent stopped taking a medication before the
supply ran out. Nearly one-quarter of respondents took less than the
recommended dosage. More than one in ten said they had substituted
on OTC drug instead of filling the prescription, and an equal number
said they had taken someone else's prescription.
"These findings are very disturbing. They suggest that patients
aren't fully aware of the implications of not taking the right dose
of medicine at the right time," said Bruce Roberts, NCPA's vice
president and CEO.
"Even more surprising, fewer than half indicated they had
consulted their doctor or pharmacist before making these changes. We
are talking about much more than dollars and cents here. It's really
the well being of the American public," he added.
An "overwhelming" 90% of respondents indicated they view
noncompliance as a serious problem. The cost of noncompliance has
been estimated at $100 billion per year, arising from factors
including increased hospitalization and nursing home admissions,
officials noted.
The survey demonstrated consumer confidence in pharmacists, as
68% said that pharmacists are more knowledgeable about prescription
drugs than are other healthcare professionals. Two-thirds of
consumers said they go to one pharmacy for their drug needs, and 86%
said they would likely talk to their pharmacists about their
medications.
Patient education needs to employ many channels that include
caregivers, insurance companies, the Internet, written materials,
and packaging that reminds patients when to take their drugs,
officials said.
"What we need is a systematic approach that helps educate
patients on the value of their medications and the importance of
taking them exactly as prescribed, as well as one that promotes
dialogue with the patient's entire healthcare team," said Ian
Salditch, P3C's founder.
With scant labeling and forgettable presentation, amber vials
struggle to educate-or remind-patients of anything. On the other
hand, sophisticated packaging and labeling could be part of a
systematic approach to better patient education. They could
definitely support the education that pharmacists could provide or
even substitute for pharmacists in a pinch. Think of all the product
information and reminders that you could build into wallet-style or
calendar-style blisters, bottles with expanded-content labeling, or
even dispensers with counters. Using these sorts of tools could help
patients understand-and remember-their regimens.
David Vaczek
Senior Editor | 
Cyclic olefin
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