Defining Medication Nonadherence

Abstract

Medications are the primary tools used to prevent and effectively manage chronic illness; however, despite their importance and known benefit, appropriate medication use remains a challenge for both patients and providers. Patients frequently do not adhere to essential medications, resulting in poor clinical outcomes, increased cost of care, and deleterious consequences for workforce productivity and overall public health [1]. An estimated half of the 3.2 billion annual prescriptions dispensed in the USA are not taken as prescribed [2]. Numerous studies have shown that patients with chronic conditions adhere to only 50–60 % of medications as prescribed, despite evidence that medical therapy can reduce mortality and improve quality of life [3–8]. Adherence to prescription medication has been labeled as our “other drug problem” [9], an “epidemic” [10], and a “worldwide problem of striking magnitude” [1].