Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Medication Adherence Enhancing Interventions

With an approximately 50% prevalence rate, medication nonadherence is a significant healthcare challenge that increases the risk of potentially avoidable adverse events and associated costs ranging from $949 to $44 190 per person annually. The ISPOR Medication Adherence and Persistence Special Interest Group conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) in 2023 to evaluate measures used in assessing medication adherence enhancing interventions (MAEIs). The findings revealed that although medication adherence and clinical outcomes were frequently measured, economic and patient-reported outcomes were underexplored. Importantly, the SLR also highlighted the need for consensus-based criteria to assess MAEIs.

This commentary supplements the SLR findings by presenting perspectives from key stakeholders: patients, manufacturers, providers, health technology assessment agencies, and payers. These stakeholders emphasize the importance of demonstrating improved clinical outcomes, health-related quality of life, and potential cost savings through MAEIs. Recognizing the significance of medication adherence for patient outcomes and regulatory and coverage decisions, manufacturers are starting to utilize artificial intelligence for developing personalized adherence strategies. Providers are addressing nonadherence through patient-centered approaches, health equity training, and value-based contracts. In addition to these new adherence-improving initiatives, MAEIs also need to consider personalized adherence strategies based on individual socioeconomic factors and social needs to improve their effectiveness. Future studies should focus on quantifying the costs associated with MAEI implementation and how such costs can be borne by different stakeholders, which will be crucial for large-scale adoption and sustainability of MAEIs.