What You Can Do Now
While the results of these studies won’t be available for several years, Kimmel argues that clinicians can still take certain steps right now in their own practice settings, even if they work in a small medical office or a rural town. All it takes is good communication, he says.
“When we do an exam, we should ask patients how it’s going with their meds,” Kimmel explains. “Ask them, ‘What can I do to help you take your medication?’”
Often, patients will admit they are confused about when to take their pills, or they may not be able to fill the prescription. “If they do tell you, that gives you an opportunity to do something at the moment,” he says.
Sometimes it only takes a simple solution, such as asking an adult child to supervise an elderly parent while filling his or her seven-day pillbox. If cost is an issue, patients could switch to a generic alternative that would be more affordable.
“This is about more than just writing a prescription and handing it to the patient,” Kimmel says. “It’s not going to help them if they’re not taking it.”