Maximising patient adherence by leveraging the patient/ physician/ pharma relationship
Director Marc Yates looks at the problem of patient compliance - can a better understanding of patient attitudes, needs and behaviours help pharma develop strategies to improve adherence?
Consider the scenario – the physician has been detailed, is sold on your
brand’s benefits and prescribes it to the patient. Unfortunately the
patient, perhaps unconvinced of what the drug will do for them, either
doesn’t fill the prescription or fails to adhere properly to the
treatment regime – that’s assuming they even present in the first place.
It’s a common problem, especially for chronic diseases like diabetes,
hypertension and osteoporosis, and one the pharmaceutical industry has
invested much time and money trying to solve. Some companies have
responded by developing sophisticated technological solutions, such as
wireless devices, that remind patients when to take their medication.
Unfortunately these solutions have not raised adherence levels because
they have failed to get to the heart of the matter. To develop an effective adherence strategy, you first need to develop a more in-depth understanding of the attitudes and behaviours of both the patient and the physician, and the relationship which exists between them.
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