US survey highlights co-payment worries
pharmafile | November 11, 2008 | News story | Sales and Marketing | US, hc, reform
A US survey has shown that concern about the high cost of medicines means that many patients are not taking them as prescribed.
Funded by AstraZeneca, the poll is intended to highlight the role played by doctors in helping patients follow their medication regimen, but for UK stakeholders the research highlights concerns about the effect of patients paying for medicines themselves.
UK patient groups have warned that the introduction of co-payments for drugs not approved by NICE could mean some will be able to afford treatment, and others will not.
In the survey, 200 US doctors were asked what reasons patients most commonly give for not taking their medicines. Two reasons stood out head and shoulders above all others – firstly, concerns about cost, and secondly, the patient's belief that they did not need the medicine.
Side effects (17%) and forgetfulness (16%) were the next most cited reasons, followed by a number of other factors, including lack of information on disease and treatment (5%) and patients receiving prior recommendation against the drug (2%).
Patients failing to take medicines as prescribed is a major public health issue, and is estimated to cost the US economy $100 billion a year. AstraZeneca says doctors play a central role in emphasising to patients that they should follow their medication regimen closely to derive the most benefit from the drugs.
"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.
'Talk About Prescriptions Month'
The survey was launched to coincide with a national week to promote medicines 'concordance' (where patients agree to take medicines as directed) and generally get patients thinking and talking about their prescription drugs.
Mirroring the UK's own Ask About Medicines Week, AstraZeneca and other US pharma companies are supporting 'Talk About Prescriptions Month'.
The event is organised by the coalition group the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE).
"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," said 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."
AstraZeneca is using its US sales reps to help doctors have more open and frequent discussions with their patients about how their medicines are working and whether they have 'affordability' concerns. The reps do this by supplying the doctors with educational materials.
In addition the company is also:
New
* Offering prescription savings programmes for patients who may have difficulty affording their AstraZeneca medicines, and ensuring that physicians' offices can share information on these programmes 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.
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