HBCRG Seminar: Medication Alliance—A patient-centred approach to medication adherence

Medication adherence is a controversial concept, particularly in psychiatry, where the contemporary philosophical ethos is patient self-determination and the process of recovery.

Nonetheless, medications play a pivotal role in health care and patient decisions not to use medications as prescribed can have significant effects on the patient, their families and the health care system.

Many factors influence a person’s ability or choice to engage in pharmaceutical treatments and it is the responsibility of the health care provider to understand the reasons why patient’s may or may not adhere, and how to work with them for the best health outcomes.

This presentation outlines a decade-and-a-half of research into the Medication Alliance model, addressing both inpatient and outpatient factors in mental health, the role of carers, and the extension of adherence concepts to other chronic health conditions. The emerging area of comorbid health issues for those on psychotropic medications, such as diabetes, will also be discussed.