Tough Medicine: The True Cost of Medication Nonadherence

Considering the potential consequences of medication nonadherence, missing a dose or three matters. In a country where nearly half the population takes at least one prescription drug, medication nonadherence offers a real threat to the health and wellbeing of the population and the quality of life enjoyed by patients living with chronic illnesses.

Despite the incentive to maintain conditions like diabetes or arthritis, half of patients cease the physician-recommended regime after 180 days.

The cost of medication nonadherence

The old adage to maintain health and prevent repeat doctor visits used to read, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Now a very relevant revision may be, “Consistent medication adherence keeps readmission away.”

For the patients who put their lives on hold with every hospital trip to the providers graded on quality of care, readmission is an ill everyone would benefit from seeing decrease.

The stats surrounding medication nonadherence captured in the infographic below present a literal picture of the impact and consequences surrounding medication nonadherence.

Empowering patient success with tech

Is the outlook around medication nonadherence really so dire? Yes. Driving up medication adherence will save lives and drive down economic waste in healthcare.

Adherence apps like the brainchild of Dr. Rajni Shah offer one possible solution. Remove the burden of responsibility to remember medications and their dosages from the patient purview. Instead, change them with entering it correctly once in an adherence app like MyMeds, the one Dr. Shah imagined and MentorMate helped build.

It’s about quality — not quantity

There are a host of adherence apps on the market. Researchers completed a study published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. They studied 160 of the adherence apps and ranked MyMeds one of the best.

The key? An adherence app that offers reminders and family member profiles stored on a HIPAA-compliant system.

Want to know more about the tech potential to solve medication nonadherence? Let’s talk.

Photo courtesy of grmarc.