RT Journal
A1 O’Connor PJ
T1 Improving medication adherence: Challenges for physicians, payers, and policy makers
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2006
FD September 25
VO 166
IS 17
SP 1802
OP 1804
DO 10.1001/archinte.166.17.1802
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.17.1802
AB 
Much of the gap between recommended and actual levels of chronic disease care is attributable to medication nonadherence.1- 3 Medication nonadherence costs an estimated $100 billion a year in the United States and leads to thousands of serious adverse events or deaths each month. Yet, medication nonadherence may often be a rational response to the information patients are given,4 and many factors that drive nonadherence are beyond the control of patients.5 Provocative reports in this issue of the ARCHIVES indicate that physicians, payers, and policy makers may contribute in unfortunate ways to the epidemic of “patient” nonadherence. These reports challenge us to develop new and creative strategies to effectively address the perennial problem of medication nonadherence. Some of the major challenges are presented herein.