| Medication adherence is central
Like many people living with chronic illness, patients with CKD often manage multiple conditions and medications, making treatment across specialties difficult to coordinate. That burden often falls on patients and caregivers, who must follow complicated treatment plans and reconcile guidance from multiple clinicians. Interdisciplinary coordination between nephrologists, primary care providers, pharmacists, dieticians, and everyone who interacts with patients is therefore essential to ensure patient education, improve adherence, and reduce medication errors. Hidden requirements
Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension commonly coexist with CKD, and each condition may require additional medications to control symptoms, such as ACE inhibitors or ARBs, SGLT2 inhibitors, and MRAs to manage blood pressure, control blood sugar, and reduce protein in the urine. These therapies can add up to 12 medications a day in addition to any vitamins or supplements a patient is also taking. Patients must be cautious of each medication’s side effects and be aware that certain combinations may lead to adverse effects. What may seem like a harmless over-the-counter medication or supplement may result in serious health issues. Supporting adherence
Increased patient education and stronger health literacy are associated with better medication understanding and can support improved treatment adherence. When care teams as a whole are more involved in a patient’s care, it can improve these outcomes. A recent review found that pharmacist-led interventions improved medication adherence in most included studies of patients with multimorbidity. Additionally, CDC-reviewed telehealth evidence suggests that tools such as live video, text messaging, web-based content, and interactive platforms are effective and important methods to support medication adherence in chronic disease care. — By MedCity Influencer Tim Pflederer |
No comments