Public Education and Gene Testing to Improve Medication Adherence

Katherine Hobson:

There are tons of reasons why people don't take the medications they've been prescribed, including side effects, cost and complicated drug regimens.

A couple of different approaches to improving adherence are in the news today. The first is Script Your Future, a multi-year public-education campaign spearheaded by the National Consumers League and supported by health-industry companies, government agencies, nonprofits and others.

It's aimed chiefly at patients with diabetes, respiratory diseases including asthma and cardiovascular disease, all of which affect big swaths of the U.S. population and can be particularly troublesome when not treated correctly. The campaign emphasizes the consequences -- such as poor health and quality of life -- that can spring from skipping meds.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 13, 2011 3:40 AM
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