supporting medication adherence
How Much Does Medication Nonadherence Cost the Medicare Fee-for-Service Program?
This study values the cost of non-adherence and can be utilized to
value a medication adherence program. Specifically, Medicare fee-for-service claims data were used to calculate the prevalence of medication nonadherence among individuals with diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
Estimated cost savings per beneficiary per year (Medicare):
-
Diabetes: $5170
-
Heart failure: $7893
-
Hypertension: $5824
-
Dyslipidemia $1847
Effect of a Pharmacist on Adverse Drug Events and Medication Errors in Outpatients with Cardiovascular Disease
Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(8):757-763. (open access)
Assessed the impact of community pharmacists on medication adherence and relevant health outcomes in patients with heart failure and hypertension. Compared outcomes of patients who received a comprehensive medication history, continuous monitoring, oral and written instructions on medications, and discussion with physicians by the pharmacist to those who didn’t receive these benefits.
Lower actual direct health care costs associated with the overall effects of the intervention compared with usual care
-
$2,676 saved per patient
Pharmacy performance while providing
continuous medication monitoring
A reimbursed continuous medication monitoring (CoMM) program was implemented in a community pharmacy to manage problems with medications being dispensed to beneficiaries of a commercial
insurer. Pharmacists assessed medications being dispensed, interacted with patients in the pharmacy, and documented their
actions.
Estimated total cost of care savings:
-
$298 per-member-per-month
Improved medication adherence - higher proportion of days covered for statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, thiazides, oral diabetes agents, and antidepressants.