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UPDATE
PharmacyCOSTCO
MEDICATION ADHERENCE
Are you
getting the
most out
of your
medications?
FORMER U.S. SURGEON General C.
Everett Koop said drugs don’t work in
patients who don’t take them. Up to ;;
percent of prescriptions are never ;lled,
and half of all people do not take their
medications as instructed, according to
research published in the Annals of
Internal Medicine.
This lack of adherence results in an
estimated ;;;,;;; deaths and more than
;;;; billion in cost to the U.S. health care
system annually. People who take their
medications correctly tend to have lower
health care costs, avoid unnecessary
treatments and hospitalizations, and
have better health outcomes.
According to the National Medication Adherence Report Card survey,
there are many reasons that patients have
di;culty taking their medications correctly. This includes high cost, confusion
over how to take medications, side e;ects
and not understanding why the medication is needed.
The survey also found that a patient’s
personal connection with a pharmacist
or pharmacy sta; member is the top predic-
tor of medication adherence.
Your pharmacist can help you improve
your health and quality of life through better
medication use.
Ask your pharmacist to:
• Work with your doctor to develop a
simple and convenient medication
schedule that ;ts into your lifestyle.
• Help ;nd lower-cost medications
and assistance programs that help
you a;ord your medications.
• Recommend reminder tools such
as pill organizers to help you stay
on track.
• Help coordinate re;lls so you can
pick up all of your medications on
the same day.
• Give tips on managing side e;ects.
Understanding why and how to take
your medication and what kind of results
to expect will help set the stage for success.
Talk to your pharmacist today about how
better medication management can help
you get and stay healthy.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COSTCO PHARMACY, CLICK ON THE “PHARMACY” LINK
AT COSTCO.COM OR VISIT YOUR LOCAL COSTCO PHARMACIST.
THE COSTCO Member Prescription
Program (CMPP) is a prescription
savings program for you and your
family. It allows members who have
no prescription-drug insurance or
whose insurance does not cover all
of their prescription medication to
obtain lower prices on certain prescriptions. All prescriptions ;lled
via CMPP receive a discount, with
some medications o;ering savings
of up to ;; percent o;.
Costco pharmacists can tell you
the speci;c savings on your drugs.
Also, they can recommend a medication similar to the one you have been
prescribed that may have a higher
discount.
Joining the CMPP
is easy. Just complete
a simple enrollment
form available at
any participating
LOW-COST PRESCRIPTIONS
Savings made
easy: Costco
Member
Prescription
Program
Costco Pharmacy for each participant (the member and each eligible
dependent) and return it to your
Costco pharmacist. Additional information is available at costco.com/
member-prescription-program.html.
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