Medication adherence Part three: Strategies for improving adherence.

PURPOSE

This is the third of a three part series on Medication Adherence in which the authors describe the continuum of adherence to nonadherence of medication usage.

DATA SOURCES

Research articles through Medline and PubMed.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the magnitude and scope of the problem of medication nonadherence is the first step in reaching better adherence rates. The second step is to evaluate the risk factors for each patient for medication adherence/nonadherence. Steps are then taken to prevent nonadherence.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The implications for nurse practitioners include using time with patients to assist them in adherence, building a trusting relationship with patients, and developing protocols for assessing and preventing nonadherence.