Clinical therapeutics
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Clinical therapeutics · May 2011
A pharmacoepidemiologic analysis of the impact of calendar packaging on adherence to self-administered medications for long-term use.
Calendar blister packaging (CBP) that incorporates a day or date feature is a simple medication packaging technology that is designed to improve medication adherence and persistence. ⋯ CBP of medication prescribed for daily, self-administered, long-term use was associated with modest improvement in prescription refill adherence and persistence. An adherence strategy of even small effect size that is broadly implemented on a population level could significantly leverage therapeutic effect and provide substantial cumulative public health benefit. Clinical benefit, or harm, associated with use of CBP should be investigated. Usability assessments of CBP in patient subgroups may provide insight about differential impact on adherence and persistence.