Private MD News

Diabetics treated at integrated care facilities are more likely to pick up their prescriptions

Category: Diabetes

For individuals who have received a positive HbA1c test for diabetes, getting treated at an integrated clinic that uses electronic health records and has an on-site pharmacy may improve their treatment. A new study has shown that patients at these facilities are more likely to take the medications their doctor prescribes.

Researchers from Kaiser Permanente Colorado reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine that 11 percent of diabetic patients treated at integrated care facilities fail to pick up their prescriptions. By comparison, up to 22 percent of patients treated at practices that do not use electronic health records may neglect to retrieve their medications from the pharmacy.

The team said that medication adherence is a major part of a diabetic's ability to control their condition. Those who fail to take their prescriptions as instructed by a physician may experience a number of complications.

While the findings help medical professionals understand which patients may be likely to not pick up their prescriptions, the researchers said further investigation should be conducted into the reasons why some individuals would neglect to obtain their medications.