Physician Executive Available for Comment on Medication Adherence Topic

NORWALK, Conn., Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

"Free medication won't significantly increase medication adherence," Dr. Firlik says.  "We must get more creative to solve this national health issue and focus on the perceived value of the medication for the consumer."

WHAT:

According to a recent study, in patients who had heart attacks, elimination of medication co-payments was demonstrated to increase adherence by only 4-6 percent compared to controls, for which adherence ranged from 35.9 to 49 percent.  According to Firlik, it is "unsurprising" that giving away medication for free has only a mild effect.  The solution lies in framing the adherence problem differently.  

Medication non-adherence is not largely a cost problem.  It is not largely a problem of simple forgetfulness or even of inadequate education.  It is a human behavior problem.  Simply put, humans tend to value short-term rewards.  The reward of good health is often too abstract or too distant to appreciate.  So why not consider offering short-term rewards to motivate patients to stick with their medications?  Rewards encourage loyalty outside the world of healthcare.  

Medication non-adherence is a massive, pervasive problem for both the healthcare system and a wide, varied demographic of consumers across the country, which results in significant economic and personal costs. Improving drug adherence is a win/win for everybody involved, and can save hundreds of billions of dollars for consumers, employers, insurance and pharmaceutical companies.  

WHO:

Dr. Katrina Firlik is co-founder and chief medical officer of HealthPrize Technologies, which uses a novel solution to the problem of poor compliance with prescription medications.  Prior to starting HealthPrize, Dr. Firlik was a neurosurgeon in private practice at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut and on the clinical faculty at Yale University School of Medicine.

In addition to her scientific publications, Firlik is also co-inventor of a brain stimulation device designed to enhance recovery after stroke and author of acclaimed Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside, published by Random House and reviewed by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and O Magazine (author website: www.KatrinaFirlik.com).  She has also appeared on CNN, Fox, and MSNBC as a commentator on a variety of medical issues.  

About HealthPrize Technologies

HealthPrize Technologies, founded in September 2009, provides an innovative approach to addressing the problem of medication non-adherence with a program that is fun, engaging and educational. For more information, visit www.HealthPrize.com.

CONTACT:
Reporters interested in speaking with Dr. Firlik for further comment on these medication issues should contact Emma Ludwin at KNB Communications, [email protected] or 203-504-8230 ext. 107.

SOURCE HealthPrize Technologies