The Past Shapes the Future: Patients’ Medication Adherence is Influenced by Past Behaviors

Adherence to medication is a known problem.

• As many as 30% of people don’t pick up their prescribed medications.
• Among those who do pick up that first prescription, as many as 30% stop taking their medicine within 30 days.
• Up to 60% stop taking their medicine within six months.^1,2,3

Adheris Health, a Syneos Health company, has previously published insights into the factors that are associated with medication adherence. Findings from that work indicated that it is important to take context into account when assessing adherence, including:

• Patients’ comorbidities • Number of prescriptions patients are filling
• Total cost of burden patients are facing
• Number of refills written
• Higher copays

The prior research focused on transactional attributes of the patient at the start of therapy. In this new report, we look beyond the immediate influences on the patient, to the patient’s experience and past behaviors as potential influences on future adherence.