Study Finds Medication Adherence Leads to Lower Health Care Costs

Patients with certain chronic health conditions who take their medications as prescribed may save as much as $7,800 per patient annually. A recent study found that people with one or more of the following four conditions: congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia (high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels), who took medications as prescribed had fewer emergency department visits and fewer in-patient hospital days than those who strayed from recommended dosages. Health care utilization and costs among adherent adults over the age of 65 were significantly lower than non-adherent older adults. These were the findings of a . . .