New NACDS resource to promote medication adherence

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) has developed a new resource to make the case for policies that improve medication adherence.

“Pharmacies: Improving Health, Reducing Costs” highlights the increasing appreciation for the value of correct medication use and pharmacy services in healthcare delivery. It also describes collaborative efforts of NACDS, other healthcare providers, the pharmaceutical industry, and allied organizations to advance this issue.

If taken correctly, medications can help treat chronic diseases and prevent their astronomic costs. But a July 2009 report by the New England Healthcare Institute estimates that the overall cost of poor medication adherence, measured in otherwise avoidable medical spending, is as much as $290 billion a year, or 13% of total healthcare expenditures.

NACDS believes neighborhood pharmacists play an integral role in medication adherence since pharmacists consistently rate as highly trusted sources in Gallup surveys.

Patient care that is delivered in pharmacies, as well as a growing awareness of its value, is creating a pharmacy renaissance, according to the publication. This renaissance promises a future time when more patients take their medications correctly, with the help of their pharmacists.

“The health of these patients will improve and unnecessary healthcare costs that are associated with not taking the right medications in the right ways will decrease,” according to the publication.