Optimising Medicines in Cardiovascular Care: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Medication adherence is a complex multifactorial process, with problems arising when either (a) the medical team fail to start or intensify guideline recommended treatment (therapeutic inertia); or (b) when the patient’s actual intake of medication is sub-optimal.1

Although patient adherence to prescribed medication can vary and wane over time,2 adherence to cardiovascular medications is crucial for risk reduction following a cardiac event, and medication non-adherence is consistently associated with poorer clinical outcomes and subsequent re-hospitalizations. 3,4