Through high-touch human engagement and easy-to-use self-service digital tools, Walgreens provides patients with the comprehensive adherence support and care they need to live healthier lives.

We focus special attention on patients most at risk of nonadherence, including those with the triple-weighted Star Ratings disease states of diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Through purposeful innovation, we’re continually providing new solutions that support improved outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and enhance patients’ experience.

Common Challenges

50% of patients are nonadherent to their prescribed medication.(1) | The cost of nonadherence has been estimated at $100 billion(2) to $300 billion annually(3,4)

How We Can Help

1. Our customer-centric solutions provide a better customer experience and drive healthy behavior. 2. Our omnichannel approach includes in-store, telephonic and digital solutions. 3. Our solutions improve customer health outcomes and your bottom line.

Pill Reminder. Schedule pill reminder alerts on the Walgreens App to never miss a dose.

Our adherence solutions at work

Patients who used online or mobile tools to manage and refill prescriptions had an average proportion of days covered (PDC) of 79.4%, compared to 77.5% for the control group, which was not digitally engaged⁵
Our Pill Reminder tool on the Walgreens App reminds patients when it's time to take a medication. A recent study showed that our Pill Reminder tool raises the likelihood of being optimally adherent by 5.5% for patients taking hypertension, 5% for hyperlipidemia and 10.3% for oral diabetes medications^*6
Save a Trip Refills^® can save an average of three trips to the pharmacy per year and increase optimal adherence for Triple Weighted Star measures^7,8

Adherence research

Improving Medication Adherence and Health Care Outcomes in a Commercial Population Through a Community Pharmacy

A community pharmacy's multifaceted set of adherence interventions was associated with patients having significantly higher medication adherence and lower health care utilization and costs within a commercial population.

Modeling the Economic Value of Medication Synchronization among Medicare Beneficiaries

Medication synchronization has been shown to reduce healthcare costs for Medicare beneficiaries.

Modeling the Economic Value of Medication Synchronization among Commercial and Medicaid Populations

Medication synchronization has been shown to improve medication adherence and reduce healthcare costs for commercial and Medicaid beneficiaries.

90-Day Index Fills at Retail Pharmacy Contribute to Higher CMS Star Quality Measures

When Medicare Part D patients start the calendar year with a 90-day prescription for Star drug classes at retail pharmacy, they have significantly greater adherence than non-90-day prescriptions.

References

*Compared with nonusers, after controlling for differences across groups (P<.001)

Nieuwlaat R, Wilczynski N, Navarro T, et al. Interventions for enhancing medication adherence. Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2014(11).
Osterberg L, Blaschke T. Adherence to medication. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:487–497. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra050100.
DeMatteo, MR. Variation in patients’ adherence to medical recommendations: A quantitative review of 50 years of research. Med Care. 2004;42(3):200–209. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mlr.0000114908.90348.f9.
Neiman AB, Ruppar T, Ho M, et al. CDC Grand Rounds: Improving Medication Adherence for Chronic Disease Management — Innovations and Opportunities. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;66. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6645a2.
Lider J, Singh T, Smith-Ray R, Taitel M. Use of digital prescription management and reminder tools is associated with increased medication adherence among patients at a large chain pharmacy. Presented at: Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy eLearning Days; April 20–24, 2020.
Singh T, Smith-Ray R, Weiss B, Taitel M. Utilization of a mobile pill reminder application is associated with higher medication adherence. Presented at: AcademyHealth 2019 Annual Research Meeting; June 2–4, 2019; Washington, DC.
Walgreens Internal Data. May 2018.
Mu Y, Lou Y, Taitel M. Medication synchronization improves medication adherence. Presented at: International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research; May 2018; Baltimore, MD.