Adherence Action Steps for Pharmacies
The following information is intended to be a general overview of some action steps a pharmacy can consider implementing to increase quality and performance in this area. It does not constitute legal or other professional advice by Health Mart®. Each pharmacist should apply his or her own professional judgment.
1. DO TARGETED INTERVENTIONS
Participate in targeted interventions and comprehensive medication reviews (when applicable) where patient adherence can be accessed and addressed. These programs help identify patients for you.
2. STATIN THERAPY ADHERENCE
Use motivational interviewing and behavioral coaching to reinforce medication adherence with each fill and to determine potential reasons for nonadherence.
- Remember patients typically have multiple reasons for nonadherence. Adherence is a personal behavioral choice; therefore, the first step to improving adherence is having an open conversation with the patient to determine his or her reasons for not being adherent. Based on the cause, you can then select the right tool or action.
- A motivational interviewing quick reference guide is provided in Appendix B to help you with conversation starters and handling common objections
- If you would like to learn more about or refresh your knowledge on behavioral coaching, take the Coaching at the Counter - Opportunities for Enhancing Communication with a Patient-Centered Approach CE course available on Health Mart University
3. MATCH SOLUTION TO CAUSE
Select the right tool or action based on the cause of nonadherence.
|
Cause for Nonadherence: |
Solution |
|---|---|
|
Do not know why I need to take the medication |
Disease-state medication counseling using motivational interviewing approach |
|
Forgot to order refills |
Use electronic refill reminders including IVR, calls, text messages, and email (e.g., Your Pharmacy Online) |
|
Forgot to take each day |
Dose reminders, or if multiple meds, dose reminder (compliance) packaging |
|
Inconvenience of multiple medications and multiple trips to pharmacy |
Medication Synchronization
|
|
Intolerable side effects |
Therapeutic interchange/prescriber collaboration |
|
Cost |
Therapeutic interchange, formulary review, patient assistance programs |