CVS Caremark shared findings regarding some recent adherence research in patients using their online ordering system. They found that when presented with the offer to sign up for automatic refill reminders in advance of renewing the prescription, patients were twice as likely to sign up vs. those who were passively presented the choice to sign up after receiving the prescription.

Sometimes it’s just very simple changes and offers that can make a huge difference. I applaud CVS Caremark for their focused study of actual patient behavior and for utilizing a more active strategy to engage patients.  But, the problem with simple, singular approaches like this is that I am not sure that they add up to a whole lot.

While it’s easy to point fingers at cost and forgetfulness, they aren’t the only challenges that patients face when it comes to taking their medications. Patient adherence to medications is very complex. And while reminders are certainly helpful, they’re only a small piece of the puzzle. Pairing solutions that address more functional and rational barriers (like cost and forgetting) with behavioral science-based educational offerings that address patients’ underlying emotional and psychological barriers to adherence could truly make a huge impact.

Because adherence is such a challenge for patients with metabolic diseases, MicroMass recently released some researchthat illustrates the key psychological/behavioral “buttons” of people suffering from hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and/or obesity.   When I think about key counseling moments that pharmacists, healthcare professionals and even marketers have with patients that have metabolic diseases  – I truly believe that  these interactions  could not only be more effective, but also more efficient if they addressed patients’ psychological hot buttons.

Tags: Adherence, Behavioral Science, Healthcare Marketing, Metabolic Diseases, Patient Engagement