WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Affordability
concerns and the perceived lack of need for a medicine are the top reasons
why patients do not take their medicines as prescribed, according to a
recent AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) survey of more than 200 office-based
physicians.
The physicians ranked the top reasons why their patients do not take
their prescription medicines as instructed:
-- Affordability of medication 20%
-- Patient does not feel they need the medication 20%
-- Side effects of medication 17%
-- Forgetfulness 16%
-- Lack of concern for their condition 5%
-- Lack of information on disease or treatment 5%
-- Lack of information on the drug they are prescribed 5%
-- Lack of family/social support 5%
-- Low satisfaction with the drug they are prescribed 3%
-- Poor relationship with myself or another physician 2%
-- Patient received prior recommendation against the drug 2%
(either by another health care professional or patient)
The failure to take medicines as prescribed is a major public health
issue estimated to cost the U.S. economy $100 billion a year(1). In lieu of
increasing concerns around health care costs, physicians play a critical
role in emphasizing that patients should follow their medication regimen in
order to experience healing and avoid a more serious health issue.
"When patients follow the treatment plan that their physicians advise,
they are more likely to experience the full benefits of their medicines and
ultimately lead healthier lives," said Dr. Karen Smith, Vice President,
External Medical Relations, AstraZeneca.
The physicians also ranked which of the following entities has most
influence over whether or not their patients take a medicine as prescribed:
-- Physician 64%
-- Caregiver 30%
-- Health Insurance/Managed Care Company 6%
AstraZeneca's pharmaceutical sales specialists provide educational
resources to help physicians have more open, frequent discussions with
their patients about how their medicines are working and whether they have
affordability concerns. The company is also taking action by:
-- Offering prescription savings programs for patients who may have
difficulty affording their AstraZeneca medicines, and ensuring that
physicians' offices can share information on these programs with their
patients.
-- Providing text messaging and interactive software to provide
one-on-one patient support and remind patients to take their medicines as
prescribed.
-- Using e-prescribing technology to develop a program that sends an
automatic reminder from a physician to a patient who has not filled his or
her prescription in a specific time period.
-- Providing a checklist that patients can bring to the doctor's office
to keep track of their medicines and whether or not they are taking them as
directed.
This month, AstraZeneca is partnering with the National Council on
Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) to help patients and physicians
have better conversations about the importance of following a treatment
regimen. NCPIE hosts a "Talk About Prescriptions Month" every year, and has
conducted significant research to understand why patients do not take
medicines as prescribed.
"When a medicine is part of a treatment plan, it is vitally important
that patients and their healthcare providers communicate effectively about
the value it can have if used appropriately," noted Ray Bullman, NCPIE
Executive Vice President. "This two-way communication includes patients
sharing an up-to-date list of all medicines they are taking, and physicians
making sure their patients fully understand their medicines' instructions
for use, precautions, and what to do if a side effect is suspected. That
quality of dialogue with every prescription will go a long way towards
patients achieving better health outcomes."
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the
research, development, manufacturing and marketing of meaningful
prescription medicines and supplier for healthcare services. AstraZeneca is
one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales
of $29.55 billion and is a leader in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular,
neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infectious disease medicines. In
the United States, AstraZeneca is a $13.35 billion dollar healthcare
business with 12,200 employees committed to improving people's lives.
AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as
well as the FTSE4Good Index.
For more information visit http://www.astrazeneca-us.com.
(1) Dezii CM. Medication noncompliance: what is the problem? Manag
Care. 2000;9:7-12.
SOURCE AstraZeneca
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Related links:
http://www.astrazeneca-us.com
CONTACT:
Tony Jewell of AstraZeneca, +1-302-885-4594,
Tony.Jewell@AstraZeneca.com
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