Adherence and persistence associated with an appointment-based medication synchronization program.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of an appointment-based medication synchronization (ABMS) program on medication adherence and persistence with chronic medications. DESIGN Quasiexperimental study in which study patients were matched with control patients.

SETTING

Rural pharmacies in the Midwestern United States between June 30, 2011, and October 31, 2012.

PATIENTS: Individuals receiving at least two refills for one of six categories of medications to treat chronic diseases (i.e., angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, beta blockers, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, thiazide diuretics, metformin, statins).

INTERVENTION: Patients in the ABMS program were compared with control patients receiving usual care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 1-year adherence rates using proportion of days covered (PDC) and 1-year nonpersistence rates.

RESULTS

Depending on the drug class, patients enrolled in the medication synchronization program (n = 47-81) had adherences rates of 66.1% to 75.5% during 1 year versus 37.0% to 40.8% among control patients. Program patients had 3.4 to 6.1 times greater odds of adherence compared with control patients. Control patients were 52% to 73% more likely to stop taking their chronic medications over 1 year.

CONCLUSION

An ABMS program in community pharmacies was associated with improved patient adherence and reduced likelihood of nonpersistence.