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Understanding Patient Compliance and Persistence with Osteoporosis Therapy

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Abstract

Chronic non-terminal diseases, including postmenopausal osteoporosis, are associated with poor treatment compliance and persistence. The longer a patient with osteoporosis complies and persists with treatment, the lower the risk of fracture. Retrospective studies with emphasis on real-world data have led to a greater understanding of the factors affecting medication compliance and persistence, and their association with improved treatment outcomes. However, these data do not contain information about patient choices of medication or patient commitment to particular medication regimens. Patient preferences can affect compliance and persistence behaviours. While recent evidence questions the importance of dosing regimen in patient preferences, other recent data show that medication efficacy and safety remain the most important determinants of patient preference. Informed patient decision making about treatment options, adverse effects and outcomes can have a beneficial impact on medication-taking behaviour. Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in the management of factors associated with poor compliance and persistence with osteoporosis therapies. Education about disease consequences and differences among treatment options, as well as treatment monitoring and positive reinforcement, are crucial to improving medication compliance and persistence in osteoporotic patients.

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Acknowledgements

Funding: The author received editorial/writing support to assist in the preparation of this manuscript funded by The Alliance for Better Bone Health (an alliance between Warner Chilcott Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and sanofi-aventis US). Linne Jenkin (BSc) from Excerpta Medica provided editorial and writing assistance. The author received no other financial support or other form of compensation related to the development of the paper.

Conflicts of interest: The author has been a speaker and an advisory board member for Amgen, Eli Lilly & Co., Roche Diagnostics and sanofi-aventis. The author has also received research funding from Novartis.

Authorship: The author had access to the data discussed in this manuscript and is fully responsible for all content and editorial decisions.

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Correspondence to Deborah T. Gold.

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Gold, D.T. Understanding Patient Compliance and Persistence with Osteoporosis Therapy. Drugs Aging 28, 249–255 (2011). https://doi.org/10.2165/11586880-000000000-00000

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