Pharmacist Counseling Improved Medication Adherence for Chronic Diseases

In their ability to counsel using behavioral components and patient-tailored strategies, pharmacists’ interventions have the potential to significantly improve medication adherence among patients with chronic disease, according to a study published in Patient Preference and Adherence.¹

“According to previous studies, medication adherence plays an important role in ensuring effective treatment as well as influencing the rate of disease progression and patients’ overall health-related quality of life,” wrote authors of the study. “Patients with low adherence to antihypertensives and statins showed a 28% reduction in blood pressure and a 25% increased hazard for mortality. Medication adherence has also been estimated to prevent approximately 200,000 premature deaths and generate health care savings ranging from $3 to $13 for every additional dollar spent on medications.”

Medication adherence is of significant importance for the approximately 129 million patients in the US living with at least 1 chronic disease.² Because chronic diseases often require long-term or life-long treatment, medication adherence is the key factor that translates to improved patient outcomes and quality of life. Being medically adherent for prescription drug therapies can make a world of positive differences for patients with chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.

Researchers of the current study wanted to systematically address the effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions for improving medication adherence among people with chronic disease. | image credit: Romin / stock.adobe.com

READ MORE: Pathology of Nonadherence Does Not Accurately Represent Structural Barriers to Care

Despite medication adherence being crucial for millions of US patients, however, non-adherence rates continue to show alarming trends. With data showing around 50% of patients failing to exhibit medication adherence, 10% of these patients were later readmitted into a hospital due to non-adherence. In the US specifically, up to 50% of all medications prescribed are taken inappropriately, according to a study published in Nursing Reports.³

“Given the severe consequences of non-adherence, there is an urgent need for scalable solutions in the health care systems,” they continued.¹ “Pharmacists, as the most accessible health care providers, are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap through tailored patients’ engagement.”

With more evidence needed on interventions to improve adherence, as well as the pharmacist’s role in administering those interventions, researchers of the current study wanted to systematically address the effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions for improving medication adherence among people with chronic disease.

They conducted a literature search of internet databases to yield randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated pharmacist-led adherence interventions for patients with chronic diseases. Including patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, asthma, CVD, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, researchers explored public RCT data up until October of 2024.¹

In the context of this study, the pharmacists’ interventions were defined as “structured health care strategies or programs delivered by pharmacists to improve patients’ medication adherence.”

Their final analysis included a total of 26 RCTs spanning the US and several other European countries. Diabetes was the most common chronic disease explored, being the key focus in 6 of the 26 trials (23.1%). Furthermore regarding study designs, 15 RCTs had under 250 participants while the remaining 11 had over 250 or 500 participants.

Among the 26 RCTs included in the analysis, a total of 18 demonstrated that pharmacists were significantly capable of improving adherence. An additional 7 studies claimed the same interventions were ineffective. Moreover, the main intervention that seemed to improve adherence was pharmacist counseling through the use of educational and behavioral components.

“This review confirmed that pharmacist-led interventions, particularly counseling with behavioral components and tailored strategies, could significantly improve medication adherence in chronic disease,” the authors wrote.¹ “Notably, tailored interventions that addressed patient-specific barriers demonstrated higher efficiency, as more time, resources, and costs were saved, emphasizing the importance of tailored approaches.”

When it comes to the management of medication regimens, pharmacists are the authority among all other US health care providers. They too have the unique ability to maintain stellar patient relationships and tailor new approaches for medication adherence toward patients with chronic disease.

Pharmacists also have a significant understanding of how behavior falls into place regarding adherence, providing a path forward—according to the study—to improve adherence rates across all patient populations, especially those with chronic diseases.

“These findings supported integrating pharmacists into chronic disease management teams, potentially reducing complications and health care costs,” they concluded.¹ “Therefore, prioritizing tailored, scalable interventions and standardized adherence metrics was critical for advancing the field.”

READ MORE: Rethinking Medication Adherence: Patient-Centered Solutions for Better Outcomes

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References

1. Farhana L, Rahayu FP, Sholihah S, et al. Effectiveness of pharmacist-led intervention on medication adherence in chronic diseases: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2025 Jul 22;19:2161-2178. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S530503.

2. Benavidez GA, Zahnd WE, Hung P, et al. Chronic disease prevalence in the US: sociodemographic and geographic variations by zip code tabulation area. Prev Chronic Dis. 2024;21. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd21.230267

3. Oliveira CJ, José HMG, Costa EIMTD. Medication adherence in adults with chronic diseases in primary healthcare: a quality improvement project. Nurs Rep. 2024 Jul 17;14(3):1735-1749. doi: 10.3390/nursrep14030129.