Development of the Drug Adherence Work-up (DRAW) tool

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy practice
• Medication adherence research
• Patient counseling

Background:

• Medication nonadherence is a significant challenge in healthcare.
• Pharmacists play a crucial role in addressing nonadherence during medication therapy management (MTM).
• Existing tools may not comprehensively address the multifaceted nature of nonadherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and conduct an initial field test of the Drug Adherence Work-up (DRAW) tool.
• To evaluate DRAW's utility in guiding pharmacists during MTM visits for nonadherent patients.
• To gather pharmacist feedback on the usability and effectiveness of the DRAW tool.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study involving seven trained pharmacists.
• Pharmacists used the DRAW tool during MTM visits with patients identified as potentially nonadherent.
• Data collected through MTM claims and an online survey of pharmacist opinions.

Main Results:

• Pharmacists reported DRAW improved MTM service focus and adherence problem resolution.
• The DRAW tool was perceived as easy to use and well-organized.
• Most common nonadherence reasons: adverse effects (59.1%) and forgetting (54.5%); 77.3% of patients had multiple reasons.

Conclusions:

• The DRAW tool may assist pharmacists in addressing diverse reasons for medication nonadherence.
• DRAW's comprehensive nature is beneficial for tackling multifaceted nonadherence.
• Further research is warranted to validate and refine the DRAW tool.