Study: Reminder devices don’t always lead to medication adherence

Finding a way to ensure patients are adhering to medication regimens is a challenge faced by hospital and medical practice staff alike. A JAMA Internal Medicine study sought to determine whether low-cost reminder devices could help boost medication adherence, but found these devices provided no benefit in regimen adherence for patients with chronic conditions who take up to three medications per day.

Researchers looked to compare the effect of three different reminder devices on medication adherence. They examined whether participants adhered to their regimen by achieving at least an 80% medication possession ratio 12 months after the participants began using one of the reminder devices. Patients randomly received either “a pill bottle strip with toggles, digital timer cap, or standard pillbox” for the duration of the clinical trial.

The study concluded there was no statistically significant difference in adherence between the control group and participants using a particular low-cost reminder device. The study suggested medication adherence may be more effective when coupled with interventions.

The clinical trial involved 53,480 CVS Caremark enrollees ages 18–64 who took one to three long-term medications daily from February 2013 through March 2015. Pharmacy claims data was used to help determine adherence. The study also focused on ensuring adherence for patients taking medications for cardiovascular conditions and depression.