The Challenge

A startling figure not widely known by the public is that nationwide up to half of the over 3.8 Billion prescriptions written each year are not used correctly. 1

With medical advances helping to increase life expectancy, especially for the Baby Boomer generation, the number of patients with chronic conditions (such as high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease), is increasing exponentially.  Today, the economic impact of chronic disease in the U.S. is staggering, accounting for roughly $1.5 trillion in a resource-strapped health care system. 2

Even more alarming is that nearly 50% of patients using medication for chronic health conditions stop taking their medication within the first six months of starting a prescribed treatment regimen. 3

Evidence suggests that many patients are not following their prescribed treatment regimens and the consequences of non-adherence to a prescribed therapy affects almost every aspect of our health care system—costing the U.S. health care delivery  system more than $177 billion a year. 4

Medication non-adherence affects Americans of all ages, regardless of gender and non-adherence is just as likely to involve high-income, well-educated people as those at lower socioeconomic levels. 5

For patients the ramifications of non-adherence to a treatment regimen can result in unnecessary disease progression, disease complications, reduced functional abilities, a lower quality of life and premature death. 6

Our Tailored Interactive Patient Health adherence strategies and initiatives are designed to engage and motivate patients to take an active role in managing their treatment regimen; improving  their medication-taking behavior; and, adopting healthy lifestyles.