Pharmacists play an increasing role in health and nudge people to take their pills

One problem with prescriptions: many bottles just tell the name of the medication and how many pills to take. Busy primary care doctors may not have explained how to take them, or in the stress of the visit, the patient might have forgotten the instructions. 

Here are two examples:

A woman who was prescribed a once-a-week bone-building pill took it whenever it was convenient. Her pharmacist explained that it should be taken in the morning and she shouldn't eat anything or lie down for an hour afterward. 

A man taking a medication for reflux disease thought he would need surgery because his medication wasn't doing enough. After a pharmacist explained when and how to take it, the man felt much better. 

Walgreens is gradually remodeling their stores to put pharmacists at open desks so customers can easily discuss their prescriptions with them. The company says many patients are talking to their pharmacists more often than to their primary-care physicians. 

Recent studies show only 25 percent to 30 percent of medications for heart disease and diabetes are taken properly. Many aren't refilled as prescribed. 

Pharmacy groups are now seeing how the enhanced role of the pharmacist is making it easier for patients to reorder their medications and to take them correctly. This reduces hospitalizations and emergency-room visits that occur when patients skip their meds.  

CVS Caremark introduced the Pharmacy Advisor program last year to help diabetes and heart-disease patients. About 16 million patients are involved. After one year, there was a 17.2 percent decline in members not taking their medications as prescribed. The program will expand next year to include patients with cancer, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

While CVS and Walgreens benefit when more prescriptions are filled, both say their main goal is to improve medication adherence and to help reduce health costs in general. 

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