USE CASE

Address prescription abandonment and reduce hospital readmissions among patients with diabetes

Challenges

To address prescription abandonment and reduce hospital readmissions among patients with diabetes, a 117-bed, nonprofit medical center first needed to establish a baseline of adherence rates.

Demographics

1,013 patients with:

High hemoglobin levels (HbA1c of >6.5%)
Missing hemoglobin levels, despite a diabetes prescription

Population Metrics

Prescription abandonment, which was defined as not filling a new prescription
Medication adherence, measured by proportion of days covered (PDC)

Adherence Results by Drug Class

MAINTENANCE
57% of patients never picked up their first prescription for a chronic disease medication, while 68% fall short on adherence after the first fill

DIABETES
56% abandon their first prescription for diabetes medication; 72% after first fill

CO-MORBIDITIES
49% abandon a medication used to treat diseases that commonly occur with diabetes; 72% after first fill

Findings

Improving first-fill adherence is top priority
Monitoring first fills and refills is critical to improving adherence
Increased care intervention is needed to adjust medication dosage and update patient therapies
Patient engagement must target primary reasons for non-adherence and deliver appropriate support

Results

Prioritize interventions based on patient-provided reason for non-adherence
Formulate treatment plan through case managers empowered with patient resources