Facts about compliance packaging

Making errors in taking medication

• Most elderly people take 17-24 prescriptions a year…according to studies, 58% of the elderly population make errors when taking medicine, according to the American Association for Retired Persons.
• General population - rates of medication non-compliance range from 20 to 70 percent.
• Elderly - due to volume of medication, and increasingly compromised physiology.

Evidence continues to mount that heightened levels of medication adherence correlate to reduced hospitalizations and emergency room visits, especially among Medicare patients.

A recent study published in "Health Affairs" in 2011 found that patients who take medications as doctors direct may save the healthcare system as much as $7,800 per patient annually. The study also found that these patients experienced fewer ER visits and inpatient hospital stays.

It has been estimated that the annual economic cost of non-compliance exceeds $100 billion a year.

We believe that compliance packaging can help decrease or eliminate the following types of non-compliance issues:

1. Patients taking incorrect doses
2. Patients taking medication at the wrong time
3. Patients forgetting one or more doses
4. Patients receiving unclear or small, unreadable instructions
5. Patients failing to have refills ordered in a timely manner

Our unique system eliminates the patient's need to request refill authorization from their doctors.

Bates Pharmacy and Medical Supply has created an outstanding relationship with primary care physicians in order to facilitate approvals for refills of prescribed medications.

Read more about packaging in an article by Myron Higel, pharmacist.