Community pharmacists tackle nonadherence
With the help of the National Community Pharmacists Association, community pharmacists are taking on the issue of medication nonadherence, which costs the nation about $300 billion each year, the organization announced in a recent statement.
With the help of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), community pharmacists are taking on the issue of medication nonadherence, which costs the nation about $300 billion each year, the organization announced in a recent statement.
“NCPA is proactively tackling this challenge and has launched a full-court press on the problem of nonadherence,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. “The community pharmacist is the expert team member who can effectively identify and resolve medication issues. By identifying solutions and providing concrete actions and resources, we believe pharmacists are putting us one step closer to solving this expensive and unnecessary healthcare crisis.”
The June issue of America’s Pharmacist, NCPA’s monthly magazine, is a special edition that focuses specifically on the topic of nonadherence. The issue includes case studies, advice from experts, and tools and information, according to the statement. Medicare is also discussed, and an independent pharmacist shares why mail order and adherence don’t mix.
NCPA also recently launched Stick To The Script. This online resource provides pharmacists with tools and programs to use with patients to help them understand the goals and outcomes of their prescription regimen, manage their chronic conditions, and take their medications as directed.
In addition, under the Simplify My Meds program that the organization launched last August, nearly 700 community pharmacists are coordinating refills to a single day of each month for more than 20,000 patients. This practice reduces the potential for gaps in therapy and promotes improved medication adherence, NCPA said.
During the 2012 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) annual meeting on July 18 in Kissimmee, Fla., AACP and NCPA will co-host a half-day adherence educators symposium. Pharmacy academicians will discuss best practices that are currently being used to teach medication adherence strategies to pharmacy students.
To learn more about NCPA’s initiatives, visit their website.
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