There’s no question that all of the factors I talked about last week as well as the health and wellbeing of the patient could be positively affected if more people took their medication as prescribed.
But it’s easier said than done, as there is no silver bullet solution. Drug adherence – or non-adherence – can be influenced by a patient’s values, beliefs, attitudes, preferences, wants, habits lifestyle, desired quality of life, and past experiences with drug therapy. Simply put, there are a lot of variables in the mix, and a one-size-fits-all fix doesn’t exist.
While 100 per cent adherence will likely never be achieved there are steps that you can take as a plan sponsor to help make it easier for employees to take their medication and stay on the road to better health. While there is no comprehensive solution, you’ll find that the small steps outlined in this paper can add up – and have a significant, positive impact.
Next week we will talk about the Characteristics of the Disease?
I would like to thank Sun Life and The Conversation for this article.