How pharmacists support patient adherence with technology
Pharmacists play a crucial role in helping patients manage their medications and adhere to their medication regimens. However, with the increasing complexity of medication regimens and the growing number of patients with chronic conditions, pharmacists need to use innovative solutions to support patient adherence. Technology can help pharmacists provide better support to patients and improve patient outcomes.
- Mobile apps: Pharmacists can recommend mobile apps to patients that can help them manage their medications. These apps can provide patients with reminders to take their medications, educational resources and information about their medications, and the ability to track their medication use and receive feedback on their adherence. Some apps even allow patients to communicate with their healthcare providers and receive support and resources to help them manage their medications.
- Electronic prescriptions: Electronic prescriptions can help improve patient adherence by reducing the risk of medication errors and making it easier for patients to manage their medications. Electronic prescriptions can be sent directly to the pharmacy, reducing the chance of errors that can occur with paper prescriptions.
- Smart pill bottles: Smart pill bottles are a technological solution that can help patients manage their medications. These bottles have sensors that can track when a patient takes their medications and send reminders to the patient’s phone. Smart pill bottles can also provide pharmacists with data on patient adherence, allowing them to monitor patient progress and provide targeted support.
- Telemedicine: Telemedicine can help pharmacists provide support to patients who have difficulty coming into the pharmacy. Pharmacists can use telemedicine to provide medication management services and answer patient questions about their medications. Telemedicine can also help pharmacists monitor patient progress and provide support to patients who are struggling with their medication regimens.
- Electronic medical records: Electronic medical records (EMRs) can help pharmacists provide better support to patients by allowing them to access patients’ complete medical histories. Pharmacists can use EMRs to see what medications patients are taking, their dosages, and any potential drug interactions. This information can help pharmacists provide more targeted support to patients and improve patient outcomes.
Technology can play a crucial role in helping pharmacists support patient adherence to medications. By using innovative solutions such as mobile apps, electronic prescriptions, smart pill bottles, telemedicine, and electronic medical records, pharmacists can provide better support to patients and improve patient outcomes. As the use of technology in healthcare continues to grow, pharmacists will need to embrace these new tools to provide the best possible care to their patients.
