Occupational Therapy
Medication Adherence
Refills
Not only must client's manage their daily medications, but they must also manage refills. Typically, medications are administered in a 90 day supply. When the supply runs out, the client must remember to both request the refill and then pick up the prescription. Unfortunately, disorganization in this portion of the medication task can cause a client to go without their medications from a few days up to a few weeks. In the table below demonstrating data from the American Heart Association (2002), we can see that 29% of Americans never refill their medications, indicating that retrieving refills is significantly affecting medication non-adherence in persons with chronic health conditions.
In this intervention strategy, it is the interventionists goal to help the client manage their refills such that there is no time lapse in taking medications. Clients who have verbalized difficulties with refills in their Occupational Profile Interview may benefit from this intervention. Consider refill reminders, different resources for requesting refills, and alternative delivery methods. Page 5 of the "Managing Your Medications" pamphlet offers some intervention strategies. You should also take notes on particular strategies and give them to the client.
Refill Reminders
Many clients simply forget to order their medication until it is too late. Encourage the client to set up a reminder to schedule their refills. This could be something as simple as writing a note on the calendar when the refill should be scheduled, or the reminder can leverage some of the resources we talked about earlier such as an app based reminder for a refill. Encourage the client to monitor their medications and to request the refill early so they have enough time to get it without a lapse in medication adherence. While the interventionist cannot set up refill reminders for the client directly (unless it is in the app), the interventionist can give clients the information and resources to complete this activity on their own. There is no handout for this intervention strategy, so take easy to read notes on the strategies that you both choose for the clients reference.
Requesting Refills
There are also many resources to increase the ease of refills. If the client is having difficulty refilling his or her medication on time, then discuss the different options available to make this task easier. Different resources include refill methods such as refilling online, by phone, via email, or through an app (like the Walgreens app). Some pharmacies have automatic refills or reminder systems to call clients who are due for a refill. While the interventionist cannot set up new methods of requesting refills for the client directly (unless it is in the app), the interventionist can give clients the information and resources to complete this activity on their own. There is no handout for this intervention strategy, so take easy to read notes on the strategies that you both choose for the clients reference.
Alternative Delivery Methods
If the client has transportation difficulties and it is quite a chore to get to the pharmacy, then talk to the client about alternative delivery methods. Most pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, etc.) can ship medications directly to the clients home for free. While the interventionist cannot set up home delivery for the client directly, the interventionist can give clients the information and resources to complete this activity on their own. There is no handout for this intervention strategy, so take easy to read notes on the strategies that you both choose for the clients reference.
