The importance of medicine adherence on World Pharmacists Day

Johannesburg - When a patient fails to take their medication as prescribed, the consequences can be devastating. Not taking the right dose or not taking it at all can worsen a patient's health condition, increase the risk of disease progression, and lead to prolonged hospitalisation and even death.

Besides unnecessary personal suffering, other consequences of non-adherence include drug resistance, more expensive second-line treatments, higher rates of hospitalisation and increased risk of transmission of communicable diseases. South African data from the Mediscor Medicine Review of 2019 shows that only 29% of non-insulin dependent diabetes take medication correctly as prescribed. Statistics for cardiovascular disease showed that 49% of patients were adherent to therapy, which means that less than half of patients with heart disease take medication as they should.

Reasons for non-adherence to chronic medication can be classified as "Medication specific challenges" or "Individual and Psychological challenges", ranging from cost or accessibility challenges, patients experiencing side-effects to cultural and language barriers, forgetfulness, psychological resistance or lack of education and awareness.

Why must we overcome these challenges and address reasons for poor adherence?

In a study involving 268,000 patients with diabetes and hypertension, it was observed that when medication adherence increased to 80% - meaning patients took their prescribed medications correctly at least 80% of the time - there was a 44% reduction in hospital admissions and a 36% decrease in emergency room visits.

Pharmacy Direct agrees that low medicine adherence is a critical issue in South Africa and as an AfroCentric Group company, is committed to be part of the solution. It shines the spotlight on this critical but often overlooked issue to mark World Pharmacists Day on 25 September, recognising and celebrating pharmacists' crucial role in improving global health.

Commenting on the importance of medicine adherence, Ansie van der Merwe, General Manager of Pharmacy Direct, said: "When a patient fails to take their medicine as prescribed, the consequences don't only affect them, they also put a strain on the entire healthcare system. Low medicine adherence is a complex problem that requires a multidimensional solution."

Pharmacists are ideally positioned to address many of the reasons for low adherence. At Pharmacy Direct, medication is delivered after affecting chronic authorisations with medical schemes and dispensing medication in-line with reference prices and formulary requirements reducing out-of-pocket costs to members. Medication is delivered to patients address' of choice, resolving accessibility issues. Both contact centre agents and pharmacists can assist patients in all 11 national languages.  On-line and in-parcel educational material assist in improving patient understanding and education about diseases and treatment.

Van der Merwe explained: "Our goal is to remove all the barriers to patients being accurately diagnosed, getting their medicine and taking it as prescribed. This includes providing health coaches to coordinate access to appropriate care and, importantly, to educate, encourage and empower patients around health and wellness so that they take ownership of their own well-being."