We at AstraZeneca want patients to maximize the benefits of therapy. We encourage people to work with their physician and other healthcare professionals as partners to discuss concerns, questions or changes in their care.

But what happens if patients don’t follow their treatment regimen? What if they don’t take their medicine as prescribed by their doctor?

The consequences of lack of medication adherence, as this issue is increasingly known among public health experts, are serious both for a person’s health and for society in general. These consequences may include substantial worsening of disease, increased hospitalization, increased healthcare costs, and death.² But what is lack of medication adherence?

The National Council on Patient Information and Education describes lack of medication adherence as America’s “other drug problem.”³ It is estimated that this problem affects as many as 50 percent of people with chronic illnesses in developed countries, according to a World Health Organization 2003 report.⁴

There are many reasons patients do not take their medicine as prescribed. Patient motivation, patient depression, denial of disease, condition-related factors, the healthcare delivery system and social and economic factors all can impact medication adherence. According to a 2008 study for AstraZeneca using patient-level data from IMS Health LRx, persistency rates vary by therapy, but generally follow a similar pattern. Among the findings: The most dramatic medication persistence declines occur within the first 4 months of the prescription being written. At the end of 12 months, less than 30 percent of patients are still persistent to therapy, across disease areas.⁵

Research underscores the extent of the problem. A 2003 national survey of 17,569 Medicare beneficiaries found that four of ten seniors were not taking medications as prescribed.⁶ A Harris Interactive online survey of 2,507 US adults found that 33 percent of those who are prescribed medications to take regularly report that they “often” or “very often” are not adherent with their medication or treatment regimens for a number of reasons. Some reasons included forgetting to take the medication, absence or resolution of symptoms, costs, and side effects.⁷

The financial cost of lack of medication adherence to the US economy is significant. A publication from 1993 estimated the annual cost of lack of medication adherence to the US economy is $100 billion. This is a result of related hospital and nursing home admissions, lost productivity, and premature deaths.⁸

Learn More:

• What is Adherence?
• What AstraZeneca Is Doing to Help
• AstraZeneca’s Commitment to Appropriate Care Home