Taking daily medication to treat a noncommunicable disease (NCD), such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes requires many different steps and actors. Health workers guide and support the patient and record data; pharmacists provide information and counselling on drug dose and side effects; supply chain managers ensure continuous access to medications; and the patient needs to create a daily routine to take her medicine.
All aspects need to be well addressed to ensure proper medication adherence, to avoid unnecessary mortality and increased healthcare costs. How can we design interventions to be most effective in ensuring that people take their medication as prescribed? How can we address barriers identified in the evidence and local data?
Join this NCD Hard Talk to hear from distinguished experts who will share insights into the behaviours associated with NCD medication adherence. Speakers will highlight challenges at different levels of the system: patient, practice and programme; and will reflect on factors that influence behaviour: psychological, social, and environmental. Moving from theory to practice, we will challenge panelists and the audience to identify realistic solutions for application on the ground.