The International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC) has launched a report which calls for better support to help people to stick to their “doctor’s orders” by taking their prescribed medication regiments.
According to the report, nearly half of all adults and approximately 8% of children (aged 5-17) worldwide have a chronic condition. Yet, adherence to medication for these conditions is as low as 50% in high income countries and even lower in lower income countries.
ILC, the UK think tank on the impact of longevity on society, argues that encouraging adherence has the potential improve health outcomes and longevity, and the cost-effectiveness of medications. The research finds that 10% of hospitalisations in older people are attributed to non-adherence and that the typical non-adherent hospital patient requires three extra medical visits a year for an increased cost of $2000 per annum.
The estimated overall cost of non-adherence, defined as taking less than 80% of a prescribed dose of medication, is between $100-290 billion in the USA, €125 billion across Europe and AU$7 billion in Australia.
To increase levels of adherence, the “Doctor’s orders” report calls for urgent prioritisation of adherence as an effective disease management tool, funding annual medicine reviews between patients and their providers to identify gaps in care and medication access.
Alongside this, ILC argue there should be investment in healthcare technology for universal electronic health records, so providers and patients alike can access their full medical record at any time as a tool to help with medication adherence.
Arunima Himawan, research fellow at ILC, said: “Frankly, it’s a scandal that almost half of medications we prescribe aren’t being taken properly. There is a massive, missed opportunity for governments and healthcare systems to intervene. It’s essentially money down the drain.
“We’re getting better at preventing, managing, and treating conditions. But it doesn’t end there. A prescription or a lifestyle change is just the starting point. With more and more of us living longer with multiple conditions, it really shouldn’t just be up to us as individuals. Trying to navigate 10 different-coloured pills each day isn’t an easy task.
“Governments must drive solving the adherence problem. Measuring adherence at a national level is a key first step, as is investing in person-centred interventions for people at risk of and already living with chronic conditions.”