Primary Nonadherence With Prescribed Medication
Authors: Christopher Moriates, Neel Shah, Vineet Arora
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2014)

Letters4 November 2014Primary Nonadherence With Prescribed MedicationChristopher Moriates, MD, Neel Shah, MD, MPP, and Vineet Arora, MD, MAPPChristopher Moriates, MDFrom University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.Search for more papers by this author, Neel Shah, MD, MPPFrom University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.Search for more papers by this author, and Vineet Arora, MD, MAPPFrom University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L14-5021 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:As Tamblyn and colleagues (1) highlighted, the out-of-pocket costs of medications have led many patients to forgo recommended treatments. Nearly 1 of every 3 new prescriptions is not filled by patients, further supporting the expansive scope of this problem. The authors appropriately call for policy initiatives, such as copayment waivers for medications needed for chronic conditions. Although these policies are important, clinicians must not wait for them to be enacted before helping patients navigate cost-related nonadherence.Teaching clinicians to address patients’ concerns about out-of-pocket drug costs is vital to improving their health and well-being. Although most patients ...References1. Tamblyn R, Eguale T, Huang A, Winslade N, Doran P. The incidence and determinants of primary nonadherence with prescribed medication in primary care: a cohort study. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160:441-50. [PMID: 24687067] doi:10.7326/M13-1705 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Alexander GC, Casalino LP, Meltzer DO. Patient-physician communication about out-of-pocket costs. JAMA. 2003;290:953-8. [PMID: 12928475] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Piette JD, Heisler M, Wagner TH. Cost-related medication underuse: do patients with chronic illnesses tell their doctors? Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:1749-55. [PMID: 15364667] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Wilson IB, Schoen C, Neuman P, Strollo MK, Rogers WH, Chang H, et al. Physician-patient communication about prescription medication nonadherence: a 50-state study of America's seniors. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22:6-12. [PMID: 17351835] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Arora V, Kumar R, Levy A, Saathoff M, Farnan J, Shah N. GOT MeDS: designing and piloting an interactive module for trainees on reducing drug costs. J Gen Intern Med. 2013;28 Suppl 1 S464-5. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Christopher Moriates, MD; Neel Shah, MD, MPP; Vineet Arora, MD, MAPPAffiliations: From University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.Disclaimer: Drs. Moriates, Shah, and Arora are affiliated with Costs of Care, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing medical bills for patients.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L14-0294. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Incidence and Determinants of Primary Nonadherence With Prescribed Medication in Primary Care Robyn Tamblyn , Tewodros Eguale , Allen Huang , Nancy Winslade , and Pamela Doran The Incidence and Determinants of Primary Nonadherence With Prescribed Medication in Primary Care Robyn Tamblyn , Tewodros Eguale , Allen Huang , Nancy Winslade , and Pamela Doran Metrics 4 November 2014Volume 161, Issue 9Page: 678KeywordsAdvanced directivesDisclosureDrug therapyDrugsFoodPerception ePublished: 4 November 2014 Issue Published: 4 November 2014 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2014 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...