Automated drug-refill reminders are everywhere — from a phone call that
A recent study on drug-refill reminders published in a special issue of the American Journal of Managed Care included more than 21,000 members from Kaiser Permanente. The researchers found that adherence rates improved by a small 2 percent with reminders. This may sound like nothing, but small changes in whether people are taking their meds are a plus, the study's researchers say.
"The small jump might not mean a lot to an individual patient, but on a population level it could translate into fewer heart attacks, fewer deaths and fewer hospitalizations, which will ultimately have an important impact on public health," said Bill Volmer, lead author of the study.
Making sure patients are taking their prescribed drugs is a priority in the healthcare field and a huge concern for pharmacists, technicians, doctors and nurses. As many healthcare providers know, individuals can prevent heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and cancer. And they can have fewer stays in the hospital if they listen to the doctor's orders and take their pharmaceuticals as prescribed.
The study looked at the PROMPT medication reminder program. The PROMPT program included drug reminders such as usual care and phone call intervention. Patients using the program were given short voice calls that reminded them to refill their meds. It also gave them the option of being transferred to an automated line to refill their prescriptions and another option of speaking to a pharmacist if needed.
The study also noted that whether a refill-reminder system is to become "sustainable" really depends on whether patients find the automated reminders useful. Researchers followed up with participants of the study and found 70 percent appreciated receiving a reminder call, and approximately 60 percent said the calls motivated them to do a status check on their prescriptions (and take a proactive approach to taking their medication).
Refill reminders can be a life-saver for elderly patients who might forget to take their prescriptions. Older patients may also be taking more than one prescription, and this is another reason why the reminders are so helpful. Busy moms with children and also those who work full-time or those who have a lot of responsibilities can benefit from these emails, phone calls and/or text notifications.
"I feel that automated pharmacy-refill systems are valuable, especially for our senior patients," said
However, given all of this information, questions do still remain concerning refill reminders. Will small, independent pharmacies catch up with the big-box pharmacies and offer refill reminders as well? In a small, independent pharmacy, it may be the pharmacist who reminds patients to refill their medication whether in person or on the phone.
Pharmacists who develop a rapport with their customers are more likely to see prescription drug adherence as well. A recent article published in Pharmacy Times clearly reports that Americans who take certain drugs for chronic illnesses only take these important drugs 50 to 60 percent of the time. They also report that the nonadherence results in 125,000 deaths.
Healthcare professionals can increase adherence rates by encouraging others to sign up for regular refill reminders by letting them know the signup process is easy and only takes minutes. Lives depend on it.
