NCL Campaign to Improve Medication Adherence and Patient Safety
As our attorneys reported in a recent Rockville, Maryland pharmacy misfill blog post, according to the National Consumers League (NCL), around three out of four consumers in this country admit they don’t take their prescription drug medication as directed—causing an increase in medication error and injury that has a huge impact on patients and the healthcare industry.
To combat medication error, the NCL has launched a national multi-media medication adherence campaign this month with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), that will aim to raise patient awareness on the importance of taking medication as directed.
According to the NCL, when consumers fail to take medications as instructed by their healthcare professionals, it creates a problem that impacts not only the patient, but the caregivers, employers, researchers, health care practitioners, and tax payers as well. Nonadherence to prescribed medications can also result in injury or death.
Research presented by the league shows that one in three prescriptions never get filled, with 1/3 and 2/3 of hospital admissions linked to medication errors that stem from poor drug adherence. The total cost for nonadherence leads to a reported $300 billion a year.
The campaign will strive to enhance patient safety and improve the healthcare system, encourage health practitioners to properly and effectively communicate the importance of prescription medication adherence to patients, and raise awareness of the problem through public education and a national campaign.
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Jack D. Lebowitz
Vadim A. Mzhen
