Solving the Crisis The Key Specific Diseases Great Benefit Solving the Nation’s Medication Non-Adherence Crisis Medication errors and patient non-adherence are major health-care concerns—they not only cause significant death and injury, but also place a considerable financial burden on the nation’s health-care system. Consider among non-adherence patients, an additional $2000 per year is spent on health care costs, including three times as many doctor’s visits. An Estimated 20 to 25 percent of employer's health care expenses result from patient non-adherence. In the United States alone, $300 Billion is lost to complications of medication errors. 1.5 million people each year are injured by medication errors. Each year 218,000 people die as a result of medication errors.   Today, about 50 percent of all prescribed medicines are not taken as directed often leading to worsening illness, hospitalization, or irreversible loss of function that results in tremendous human and financial costs. Medication non-adherence occurs anytime a drug is taken in a way other than it was prescribed. Common non-adherence incidents including forgetting to take medication at the appropriate time, failing to fill a prescription, taking an incorrect dose, taking an incorrect medication, or taking multiple doses to make up for skipped doses.   The problem of non-adherence is particularly significant in the management of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma and cancer. In fact, the annual costs of diabetes and cardiovascular disease alone are estimated at $174 billion and $403 billion respectively. That said, it is no surprise that improving medication Adherence has emerged as a major focus of initiatives to improve patient outcomes and lower health care costs. What will it take to get there? Improving medication adherence is about more than reminding people to take their pills. Frequent dose changes, confusing generic drug names, and patient education all contribute to one’s ability to take medication responsibly. While many factors may lead to medication non-adherence, one fact is certain: the faster a physician, disease manager or care giver knows about a non-adherence incident, the better the chance of averting hospitalization or additional health problems.