For patients with diabetes, suboptimal medication adherence contributes to disease\nprogression, complications, and increased healthcare costs. Identification of, and intervention\nfor patient-identified reasons for nonadherence are essential to improving medication adherence.\nThis prospective, quality improvement study was conducted at an independent community pharmacy\nin the Mid-West United States. Patients with a proportion of days covered (PDC) for their oral\nantidiabetic medications of less than 80% were contacted by telephone and interviewed by a\nclinical pharmacist. The interviews and corresponding adherence interventions were guided by an\nabbreviated version of the Drug AdherenceWork-Up (DRAW�©) tool that focused on oral medications\nfor diabetes. The change in PDC 120-days post-interview was assessed to determine the change in\nadherence rates. Patients receiving the pharmacist-delivered adherence intervention had significantly\nhigher 120 day PDC values which are likely to indicate more regular medication-taking at home.\nAlmost half of study patients signed up for medication synchronization and these patients trended\ntoward higher PDC values, although the relative difference was not statistically significant from those\nreceiving the intervention and not opting to have their medications synchronized.
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