Policy Update
Patients with chronic diseases who are enrolled in pharmacy care programs are more likely to comply with medication regimens than patients who are not enrolled in such programs, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study found that prescription drug adherence improved by more than 35 percentage points after enrollment in the programs.
The authors recommended that programs that increase medication adherence be developed for populations that are less likely to comply with treatment regimens.
This week's Health Policy Research Update also includes:
- A paper discussing the growth of retail clinics; and
- Research on the effect of medical process patents on health care costs.