Improving Adherence in Type 2 Diabetes.

International Diabetes Federation estimates that there are more than a half-billion adults ages 20 to 79 years worldwide who have diabetes mellitus (DM) and that the global health care expenditure for adults with DM in 2015 was $673 billion. Nonadherence and nonpersistence to prescribed type 2 DM medications are common and remain a barrier to optimal health outcomes. There is a high prevalence of nonadherence among older adults. Research has focused on prevalence and predictors of adherence, research methodologies, and development of measures of adherence. Improvements hopefully will result in better disease monitoring, medication adherence, and reduced rates of diabetes complications.