Enhancing Prescription
Medicine Adherence:
A National Action Plan
National Council on Patient Information and Education
August 2007
Copyright © 2007 by National Council on Patient Information and Education.
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E N h A N C I N g P r E S C r I P t I o N M E D I C I N E A D h E r E N C E : A N A t I o N A l A C t I o N P l A N
Preface
In the United States and around the world, there is compelling evidence that patients are not taking their
medicines as prescribed, resulting in significant consequences. Lack of medication adherence is America’s
other drug problem and leads to unnecessary disease progression, disease complications, reduced functional
abilities, a lower quality of life, and even death.
Contributing to America’s other drug problem are numerous behavioral, social, economic, medical, and
policy-related factors that must be addressed if medication adherence rates are to improve. This includes
lack of awareness among clinicians about basic adherence management principles, poor communication
between patients and clinicians, operational aspects of pharmacy and medical practice, and professional
barriers. Moreover, adherence improvement is affected by federal policies that provide insufficient funding
for adherence-related research and federal and state laws and regulations that impact the availability of
compliance assistance programs. All of these problems contribute to a rising tide of poor medication
adherence and all must be addressed.
The ramifications of poor prescription medicine adherence affect virtually every aspect