Appropriate Use Of Medicines

Everyone in the healthcare system shares the goal of helping each patient receive the best available treatment appropriate to his or her individual needs. As the knowledge of diseases and their treatment and prevention increases, prescription medicines justifiably are playing an increasingly important role. Recent studies show that prescription medicines have helped increase the life expectancy of cancer patients and reduce death rates from both cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS.

For example, since the approval of antiretroviral treatments in 1995, AIDS death rates have dropped by more than 75 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And a 2007 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that medicines and intervention treatments contributed to a 45 percent decline in heart-attack deaths and heart failures from 1999 through 2005.

In short, the proper use of prescription medicines is a critical component of good health care. Medicines help treat and prevent disease, as well as control healthcare costs by reducing the need for more expensive services such as hospitalizations and surgeries.

When used properly, medications can extend and enhance patient lives. But when misused and abused, they can lead to dangerous consequences. Substantial education, training and responsibility among many groups involved in health care delivery are essential to ensuring the appropriate use of medicines and reductions in the abuse of prescription drugs.

Biopharmaceutical companies are committed to the safe and effective treatment of patients who take their medicines and to preventing prescription drug abuse. The companies educate the public through partnerships with Drug Abuse Resistance Education, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the Washington Health Foundation and others.

Unused portions of medicines also must be disposed of properly to avoid harm to wildlife, pets and people. Biopharmaceutical companies work to educate the public on that front through the SMARxT Disposal program, a unique public-private partnership among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Pharmacists Association and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Legitimate concerns about the appropriate use of medicines, however, must be kept in context. RAND researchers recently found that the failure to prescribe an indicated treatment is a far more common quality problem than inappropriate medicine use. For example, 24 million Americans now live with diabetes. Of those, only 18 million are diagnosed and only 15 million are treated. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to kidney failure, amputation, blindness and stroke.

Undertreatment of diseases also can increase U.S. healthcare costs. Today, 75 cents of every healthcare dollar is spent treating patients with preventable chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes or the complications caused from neglecting these conditions. In too many cases, early interventions and better compliance -- including the use of prescription medicines -- could help prevent a chronic condition or help patients better manage their conditions and live longer, healthier and more productive lives.

The best solution for all patients is to strike the right medical balance between proper and effective use of prescription medicines and other therapies and interventions.

News

Study: Adherence To Medicines Cuts Health Costs
A study of four chronic conditions, found that patients who regularly adhered to their prescription regimens significantly reduced their total healthcare spending and lowered the number of emergency room visits and days spent in the hospital.

Resources

Drug Guide
This guide from the Partnership at Drugfree.org is a comprehensive source that includes drug descriptions, slang terms, drug effects, images, federal classifications and more. The encyclopedic reference is frequently updated and reviewed by scientific experts, writers and editors.