Packaging pills
Multidose packaging pharmacies bolster provider efforts to improve adherence
For patients taking multiple medications each day for chronic conditions, multidose packaging services are a game changer. They offer an easy way to simplify their complex medication routine. Medication is delivered monthly in pre-sorted packets with clearly marked dates and times for each dose. divvyDOSE is a multidose pharmacy within the OptumRx network that offers this convenient approach to managing medications — and it offers benefits for providers and the patients under their care.
Diabetes patients were 46.7% more adherent to their therapies when using a multidose packaging pharmacy versus a retail pharmacy.
Medication adherence benefits
Providers welcome help in ensuring patients follow their therapies as prescribed. Multidose packaging provides that helping hand. Non-adherence to prescription medication is an ongoing challenge in health care. It accounts for up to 50% of treatment failures, nearly 125,000 deaths, and up to 25% of hospital stays each year in the U.S.1 Also, medication adherence is key to improving clinical outcomes, especially for those with chronic conditions. With 1 in 4 seniors taking between 10 and 19 pills daily, non-adherence can have serious consequences for patients and health systems.2
Patient behavior
Research suggests multidose services can have a positive effect. According to an OptumRx adherence study, diabetes patients were 46.7% more committed to their therapies when using multidose packaging versus a retail pharmacy. And among patients with high blood pressure, medication adherence was 38.7% higher.3
Custom pill packaging services also offer other benefits for patients trying to stay on track with their medication:
- Pre-sorted medication replaces counting pills and makes daily dosing easy while reducing potential patient errors.
- Simple instructions help prevent inaccurate dosing and waste.
- Medication synchronization overcomes barriers to adherence and reduces disruptions in therapy.
Chronic care management
Along with supporting adherence, multidose pharmacies give providers another tool to help manage their patients’ chronic care needs. By simplifying the process of how prescriptions are dispensed, providers have a better line of sight into the patient’s full list of medications. Having critical information integrated into provider’s existing EMR workflows, such as refill management and gap closure, enables them to prevent drug interactions, resolve insurance issues, coordinate vital refills and identify gaps in therapy, improving patient outcomes.
Of course, any therapy works best when medications are taken exactly as prescribed. Custom prescription solutions by divvyDOSE and other multidose pharmacies highlight the link between medication discipline and health outcomes. And with chronic conditions on the rise, these services can deliver real value to both patients and providers.
Research suggests multidose services can have a positive effect on patient behavior.
divvyDOSE is a full-service pharmacy that offers a high-touch service to patients.
They work with most insurances, fill most medicines including vitamins and over-the-counter medications, and offer easy monthly deliveries with pre-sorted medications by date, dose and time.
Learn more about the multidose custom solutions through divvyDOSE.
• Visit divvyDOSE.com or call 1-855-978-8533
- U.S. pharmacist. Medication adherence: The elephant in the room. https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/medication-adherence-the-elephant-in-the-room
- IDC Survey. Payer and Provider Investment Plans for Medication Adherence. Last updated May 17, 2019.
- OptumRx. OptumRx multidose packaging adherence study for Direct/Commercial. March 18, 2019.