A new analysis indicates that not obtaining a medication the first time it is prescribed—called initial medication non-adherence—is common among patients within the Catalan health system in Spain.
A new analysis indicates that not obtaining a medication the first time it is prescribed—called initial medication non-adherence—is common among patients within the Catalan health system in Spain.
In the analysis of some 1.6 million patients with 2.9 million prescriptions, the prevalence of total initial medication non-adherence was 17.6% of prescriptions. Predictors were younger age, American nationality, having a pain-related or mental disorder, and being treated by a substitute/resident general practitioner in a teaching center. ?
"We are especially concerned about the high rates of initial medication non-adherence in chronic treatments such as insulins, statins, or antidepressants and suspect that it is also related to an increase in costs, so we are designing an intervention targeting high risk patients," said Dr. Maria Rubio-Valera, senior author of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology study.
Additional Information
Link to study: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/bcp.13215
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Published on behalf of the British Pharmacological Society, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology contains papers and reports on all aspects of drug action in humans: invited review articles, original papers and correspondence. The Journal enjoys a wide readership, bridging the gap between the medical profession, clinical research and the pharmaceutical industry. Additionally supplements containing information on new methods, new drugs and new approaches to treatment are supplied free of charge.
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