Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Compliance News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/compliance/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112662.php The Hartford Courant on Sunday examined a new lottery-like program that offers patients a chance at winning daily cash prizes of $10 or $100 if they promptly take their prescription medications. According to the Courant, the lottery program -- part of a $40,000 study developed by the University of Pennsylvania's Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112403.php The 2008 BIO International Convention, produced by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), wrapped up with 20,108 industry leaders - a 36 percent increase from the last time the convention was held in San Diego, Calif. in 2001. Attendees hailed from 70 countries and 48 states, as well as 4,270 attendees and exhibitors from California. Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111785.php While certain pharmaceutical drugs can reduce acute withdrawal symptoms and/or urges to drink alcohol, clearly they will not work if patients do not adhere to a regimen. Although behavioral treatments can facilitate medication adherence, different combinations have different effects on different people. An examination of two medications for treating alcohol dependence, used in combination with two behavioral treatments, has found that medication adherence is still best for success. Fri, 09 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106902.php When cleaning out the medicine cabinet, medication and drugs should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet, says a Purdue University expert. Patricia Darbishire, a clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice, recommends that before disposing of any medication people contact a local pharmacist, the Solid Waste Management District or a law enforcement agency to learn the proper disposal technique for your geographic area. Thu, 01 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105929.php "Dialysis 'No-Shows' on Saturdays: Implications of the Weekly Hemodialysis Schedules on Nonadherence and Outcomes," (. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105359.php Almost a quarter of the most problematic drug-users in some areas exit drug treatment programmes before they've even completed 30 days reports a new study published in BioMed Central's open access Harm Reduction Journal. It found that problem drug-users who were younger, homeless or not currently injecting are significantly more likely to exit early, possibly because drug services are off-putting and not suited to their needs. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105314.php Patients often do not take the medicines their doctors prescribe, and a new review of existing research suggests that there is no proven way to get them to follow directions for long periods. "Simple things don't work and nothing works very well," said review lead author Dr. R. Brian Haynes of the McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences in Hamilton, Ontario. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/104224.php Compared to older drugs for Parkinson disease, a newer class of medications called dopamine agonists might be better at preventing some of the disabling muscle control problems associated with the disease and its treatment, a new review of recent studies concludes. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102861.php Patients concerned about recent news regarding the safety and efficacy of medications should seek guidance from their pharmacist, physician or other healthcare professional before they stop taking their medications. The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) strongly encourages patients to stay informed about their medications and ask their pharmacist or prescriber about any questions or concerns they may have about their medications. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102559.php Policies requiring authorization before physicians can prescribe newer medications to schizophrenic patients may be counter-productive. According to a new study, patients in Maine's Medicaid program who found themselves in this situation were 29% more likely to stop or disrupt medication use than patients not subject to the policy. In addition, although the policy was originally designed to cut costs, government savings were minimal at best. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102400.php A large community-based registry of patients treated with drug-eluting stents is providing important insight into how long patients with complex coronary artery disease typically stick to their doctors' orders to take clopidogrel, a drug that prevents unwanted blood clots; why they stop taking the drug; and the long-term consequences of that decision. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101113.php Free, online instructions for creating a pill card -- an illustrated medication schedule -- using only a personal or lap top computer and printer are now available from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a part of the US. Department of Health and Human Services. One in four Americans do not take prescription medicines as prescribed. Adherence to medication instructions is particularly important when people have chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart failure. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/99653.php Researchers now have a possible solution for the one in three adults who fail to take their medicines as prescribed by their doctors, as well as for everyone else who occasionally forgets: a sensor necklace that records the exact time and date when specially-designed pills are swallowed, and reminds the user if any doses are being missed. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/96211.php We must all play a part in conserving antibiotics to help tackle infections The Government will today launch a national campaign to remind doctors of the problem of antibiotic resistance and make clear to patients that antibiotics will not get rid of the common cold. Fri, 01 Feb 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95910.php High blood pressure may be one of the top killers in the country, but you'd never know it by the way we're behaving, say scientists attending the annual congress of the Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). "Research shows that some 73 million people in the U.S. have high blood pressure, yet many of them don't even know it. And among those that do, a large number are not taking the medications they need to control it," says Dr. Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/93488.php ActiveHealth Management (ActiveHealth(R)) announced the publication of a study designed to determine the medication compliance impact of selectively lowering co-pays for certain classes of drugs used in the treatment of chronic medical conditions. The study results showed a significant increase in compliance with four of five drug classes studied. Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/93397.php An international study of dialysis patients shows that although U.S. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92965.php Adverse drug events are more common in older adults because they are prescribed more drugs and are affected differently by these drugs than their younger counterparts. A review article written by Tufts University School of Medicine clinicians, published in American Family Physician, summarizes steps that physicians and other healthcare providers can take to avoid overuse, misuse, and underuse of medication in older adults. Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92666.php Research out of the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, in collaboration with six integrated health plans that are part of the Cancer Research Network, found that the majority of older women with early stage breast cancer fail to adhere to the standard of treatment - five years of daily oral use of the chemo-prevention drug Tamoxifen. Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91496.php Two-thirds of California seniors cannot afford their medications, and nine in 10 seniors want to be able to choose which medications are prescribed to them, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the Honolulu Advertiser reports. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91405.php If mom is the CEO of her family's healthcare, how well she runs her "company" and manages her own time are vital to her family's health - and to the bottom line of all sectors of the healthcare industry. With pharmaceutical manufacturers losing $30M annually as a result of medication non-compliance and the cost of preventable hospitalizations growing to $15B/year, motivating the steward of a family's care is more important than ever. Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/90332.php InforMedix Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: IFMX, http://www.informedix.com), developer of the Med-eMonitor™, an interactive smart pillbox system for medication adherence and health management, is planning to introduce a new device, the Med-ePhone™. Thu, 29 Nov 2007 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/90135.php You have just been prescribed a new medication by your doctor and the container label says: "take one tablet by mouth twice daily for 7 days." How much and how often should you take your medicine? This might be easy for you to answer, but 46 percent of adults misunderstand at least one prescription container label, according to a 2006 study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/89312.php HIV-positive people with low health-literacy levels are less likely to understand their medication instructions and, therefore, are less compliant with their antiretroviral treatment regimens, according to a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Reuters Health reports. Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/88394.php Elderly black women who use spirituality might be more successful adhering to a hypertension regimen, according to a study presented on Wednesday at an annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla., HealthDay/U.S.