Sun Life Financial sheds light on factors and costs of not taking medications correctly

New paper outlines importance of taking medications as prescribed and strategies to increase drug adherence

TORONTO, Oct. 8, 2014 /CNW/ - For many common chronic conditions, such as arthritis, hypertension and diabetes, patients are able to get a prescription, take their medication and manage or cure their condition.  It can be a simple formula for a return to health. Yet according to the World Health Organization, adherence to long-term therapy for chronic illnesses in developed countries such as Canada averages at just 50 per cent.¹

This finding and others were highlighted in a new paper issued today by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Sun Life), which discussed the costs of medication non-adherence and considers some of the reasons why Canadians do not take their medications as prescribed.

"Not taking medications as prescribed can be a major public health problem," says Jean-Michel Lavoie, Pharmacist and Director, Pharmaceutical Benefits at Sun Life Financial. "Canadians who stop taking their medicine could face reduced health and wellbeing and potentially otherwise unnecessary hospitalization."

Outlined in its paper titled "Take your pills - Gaining the benefits of improved drug adherence," Sun Life notes that medication non-adherence doesn't just affect the individual; every year it results collectively² in:

• A staggering $4 billion in costs to the country's health care system
• Five per cent of Canadian hospital admissions
• Five per cent of physician visits

It also contributes to faster disease progression.³ For employers, it can result in increased benefit costs, lost productivity, temporary disability and increased absenteeism.

"There's no question that all of these factors, as well as the health and wellbeing of the patient, could be positively affected if more people took their medication as prescribed," notes Mr. Lavoie.

And there are some groups that are more at risk than others.

"For example, depressed patients or those with other mental health conditions may be at risk to be non-adherent due to symptoms they are experiencing, whether the medication is for their mental health condition or for a concurrent chronic condition," adds Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier, registered psychologist and Director, Workplace Mental Health Group Benefits at Sun Life Financial.

Because the consequences of non-adherence can be high for some mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and depression, it can be very problematic from a health perspective. Many studies of non-adherence have identified a few of the reasons why some individuals with mental illness do not to take medication including, denying or being unaware of their illness, the side effects of prescribed medications and having a poor relationship with their mental health provider.

For example, studies⁴ of individuals with depression have reported that more than three out of five (62 per cent)⁵ of patients will relapse and that one of the greatest predictors of relapse when treatment is pharmacological is non-compliance with medication.

Other causes of medication non-adherence can include:

• Chronic conditions and lifelong treatment
• Complicated packaging, such as childproof caps among the elderly or those with arthritis
• Conditions with no symptoms or symptom-free periods
• Conditions that require the patient to take more than one drug

The paper also offers strategies on how to increase drug adherence and includes a "5 easy steps" fact sheet to promote the importance of taking medication as prescribed.

"Over the long term, increased drug adherence can provide a significant benefit to patients, employers and the Canadian health care system," says Mr. Lavoie. "Increasing engagement and education surrounding drug adherence will result in a reduction of many additional costs that your benefits plan and employees may be absorbing, as well as fewer hospital visits and slower disease progression.⁶ At the first signs of any medical concerns, be sure to contact your health care provider immediately."

^{1.     Adherence to long-term therapies, Evidence for Action, World Health Organization, 2003
2.     9000 Points of Care: Improving Access to Affordable Healthcare, April 2014
3.     ibid
4.     The True Cost of Noncompliance in Antidepressant Therapy, Matthew S. Keene, MD, Medscape Psychiatry. 2005;10 (2) © 2005 Medscape, LLC
5.     ibid
6.     Reducing the Health Care and Societal Cost of Disease: The role of Pharmaceuticals, The Conference Board of Canada, 2013}

About Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Life Financial Inc. and is a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies.

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Sun Life Financial and its partners have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of June 30, 2014 the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $684 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

SOURCE: Sun Life Financial Canada