Helping patients with medication compliance

When patients adhere to their medication plan, it reduces the chance of adverse events and mortality — particularly for patients with diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease. But not all patients are taking their medication as prescribed.

For every 100 prescriptions written:

• 50 to 70 are filled by the pharmacy
• 48 to 66 are picked up from the pharmacy
• 25 to 30 are taken properly
• 15 to 20 are refilled as prescribed

There are many factors that affect patient adherence:

• A patient’s understanding of the disease
• A patient’s expectations of improvement from the medication
• Side effects the patient experiences 

Some individuals are unintentionally noncompliant due to their mental health status or confusion, often complicated by a polypharmacy regimen. Polypharmacy relates to the simultaneous use of multiple drugs to treat a single ailment or condition.

As always, a patient’s best resource if they have questions about their condition and medication is their doctor.

How the Federal Employee Program^® can help
Members who participate in the Federal Employee Program can take advantage of additional resources to help them adhere to their medication regimen. Services include chronic condition programs that enable a member to talk on the phone or communicate online with a health coach.

For more information, FEP members can go to fepblue.org or call the Customer Service number on the back of their member ID card.