Miracles of modern medicine have been made possible through the development of prescription drugs that help cure, or at least manage, the symptoms of serious diseases and chronic conditions. However, if patient compliance is lacking, such as failing to regularly fill prescriptions, delaying refills, or going off their medications, patients are not receiving the full benefit of their needed medications.
Why Medication Non-Compliance is So Common
The reasons for lack of compliance are often not completely intentional on the part of the patient. There can be mitigating factors, including:
- Cost of medication. The patient may not be able to afford co-pays or in some cases, he or she may be required to pay the full cost of the medication, especially if it is not on their insurance carrier’s formulary or if it’s a higher tier medication.
- Forgetting to refill prescriptions. If memory issues are a problem or the patient is too busy to remember, it’s easy to forget to refill prescriptions. The patient may not remember to initiate a refill until he or she has run out of medication, and if that particular medication is not in stock or is through mail order, they might be without medication for several days.
- Having to take numerous medications. Managing multiple prescriptions presents challenges. Patients who have difficulty swallowing pills, who suffer side effects, or who enjoy no immediate benefits might find it a burden to regularly take medications.
- Lack of information. A patient could be unaware of the importance of why they need to take medications as prescribed.
How to Increase Patient Medication Compliance
AlphaScrip offers various programs that can help increase patient compliance with taking prescription medications, including:
- Starter voucher/co-pay discount card programs
- Compounding services
- Automatic refill reminders
- Direct to patient offerings
- Patient education and assistance programs
Learn more about how AlphaScrip can help increase your rates of patient compliance.
