Many people underestimate the impact of missed doses, incorrect timing, or stopping treatment too soon, often believing that skipping a pill here and there won’t make a difference. However, non-adherence can lead to worsening health conditions, unnecessary hospitalizations, and even life-threatening complications.
Addressing medication adherence requires awareness, education, and support to ensure that patients receive the full benefits of their prescribed treatments.
Medication adherence refers to how well a patient follows their prescribed medication regimen. It plays a key role in managing chronic conditions, preventing health complications, and improving patients' lives.
Medication adherence directly impacts health outcomes, cost savings, and STAR Ratings. With 50% of chronic illness patients not taking their medications as prescribed, non-adherence remains a persistent challenge. Consider the impact that non-adherence has on health plans:
By addressing adherence barriers, health plans can improve member outcomes while enhancing performance and financial sustainability.
Despite its importance, medication adherence is often hindered by various challenges. Common barriers include lack of patient education, complex medication regimens, and the cost of medications.
Many patients don’t fully understand the ins and outs of their medications - from why they are taking them to what the actual benefits of their medications are. Nearly 9 out of 10 adults in the United States alone struggle with health literacy.
Why is there such a disconnect? A lack of education. When a patient doesn’t understand their medications, they are less likely to see the importance of taking them and more likely to stop consistent usage altogether. These following types of misunderstandings can lead to non-adherence, the discontinuations of life-changing medications, and a decline in health:
So, how can pharmacists help address gaps in patient education? Pharmacists are medication educators; they have the experience and knowledge to provide patients with relevant health information to best help them understand their medications. Pharmacists also help simplify complex medical language, encourage patients to ask questions and advocate for their health, and provide personalized consultations tailored to their individual needs.
The Aspen RxHealth pharmacist community, for example, is equipped to conduct remote consultations, allowing patients to receive guidance in their preferred language and from pharmacists who understand their cultural and geographical backgrounds.
Our personalized approach works to improve patient education, while building an environment of trust and confidence in their treatment plans, ultimately leading to stronger medication adherence.
Patients managing multiple prescriptions often face difficulties in understanding the purpose each medication serves and keeping track of their dosing schedules, which leads to unintentional non-adherence.
Unintentional non-adherence is described as a “process in which the patient may be careless or forgetful about adhering to the treatment regimen.” This issue has the potential to be exacerbated for elderly patients or those with cognitive impairments and dexterity challenges, such as difficulty opening pill bottles.
When taking multiple prescriptions, patients may also struggle with their confusing dosing schedules. There are ways that both patients and pharmacists can simplify a complex medication regimen.
Another way to simplify complex regimens is by placing medications in view based on daily routines. For example, if the patient has a medication they take twice a day, they can put it near their coffee pot (or any other household item used daily) as a reminder to take them.
By streamlining medication management, pharmacists reduce the likelihood of patients forgetting or mismanaging their prescriptions.
The high cost of prescription drugs remains a major deterrent to adherence. In 2024, it was estimated that prescription drug expenditure in the United States reached close to a staggering 460 billion dollars.
On average, adults in the U.S. spend approximately $177 per year out-of-pocket on prescription medications. However, this cost rises significantly for older adults, particularly those aged 65 and older, who typically require more medications to manage chronic conditions.
Individuals between the ages of 65 and 79 face an average annual out-of-pocket expense of $456 for their prescriptions which is more than double the overall adult average. For those aged 80 and above, these costs climb even higher, placing a considerable financial burden on seniors who often live on fixed incomes.
To help reduce the financial burden of pricey medications, pharmacists can point patients in the direction of cost-saving options, such as recommending generic alternatives that provide the same benefits as brand-name drugs at a lower price.
By addressing financial barriers, pharmacists can help patients stay consistent with their prescribed treatment plans at a price point that is manageable.
Our community of remote, nationwide pharmacists have the experience and the technology to help patients improve their adherence. Here is how they contribute:
Health plans need data-driven solutions to effectively track, manage, and improve medication adherence for their members. BeWell with Aspen RxHealth is our powerful web-based platform designed to address these challenges. It provides real-time adherence monitoring, automates telephonic outreach to engage members, and seamlessly connects them with pharmacists for proactive support and consultations. Additionally, BeWell delivers comprehensive adherence reports, equipping health plans with actionable insights to optimize performance.
For organizations with in-house pharmacist teams, Alliance by Aspen RxHealth allows health plans to leverage the use of BeWell, developing fully customizable adherence strategies that align with their specific goals.
Aspen RxHealth pharmacists provide tailored, one-on-one consultations designed to meet each patient’s specific needs. These consultations take into account language preferences, cultural backgrounds, and clinical specialties to deliver a patient-centered experience. With fluency in 28+ languages and expertise across 50+ clinical areas, our pharmacists deliver personalized, high-quality care for every patient.
Many patients may not actively seek medication guidance. Aspen RxHealth pharmacists engage in proactive telephonic outreach to check in with patients, making sure they understand their medications, and address any concerns before adherence becomes an issue. In addition, our pharmacists continue to address patient concerns by providing Comprehensive Medication Reviews (CMRs) and Targeted Medication Reviews (TMRs) in order to optimize therapy and improve health outcomes.
Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to identify and address medication adherence issues before they escalate into serious health complications. By closing the divide in care, pharmacists contribute to improved patient outcomes and reduced hospitalizations.
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a patient-centered counseling technique that encourages positive behavior changes by exploring a patient's motivations and addressing ambivalence. Rather than just instructing patients to take their medications, motivational interviewing seeks to have meaningful conversations that encourage patients to take an active role in their health.
By implementing motivational interviewing techniques into medication management consultations, pharmacists can create a supportive environment that encourages long-term adherence, stronger education around their medications, and improved health.
Here are some strategies employed by Aspen RxHealth pharmacists:
Medication adherence is a layered challenge, but with the right strategies in place to address a lack of patient education, complex medication regimens, and cost concerns, pharmacists can help patients overcome common adherence barriers.
Aspen RxHealth’s nationwide community of pharmacists are trained in patient-centered care and motivational interviewing, both of which bridge the gap between prescriptions and adherence. By leveraging expert pharmacists and data-driven insights, Aspen RxHealth assists health plans and patients in identifying and tackling adherence barriers through personalized consultations, and with our innovative web platform, BeWell.
We help patients receive the guidance they need to stay on track and achieve better health outcomes. By creating strong pharmacist-patient connections, Aspen RxHealth is shaping the future of medication adherence and improving lives one consultation at a time.
Schedule a demo with Aspen RxHealth today to learn more about how our pharmacist community and our BeWell platform can improve patient adherence.