The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently highlighted how poor adherence can lead to poorer outcomes for prisoners, contributing to health inequalities the world over. But it is worth noting that near-perfect adherence can be just as troublesome within the … Read More
Author Archives: Bernard Vrijens
Challenging the Status Quo for Measuring Medication Adherence in Clinical Trials
Poor adherence to the investigational product can bring even the most carefully planned clinical trial to its knees. It is time to accept that traditional approaches such a pill count do not work. We need to upset the status quo … Read More
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: The Difference Between Accurate and Reliable
Adherence to medication during clinical trials is a problem of striking magnitude, and one that researchers have employed therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to solve for years. But the approach, which measures the level drug or drug metabolites in patients’ blood, … Read More
Measure to Manage: How Data-Driven Feedback Drives up Patient Adherence in Clinical Trials
Every clinical trial participant with poor medication adherence will have their own set of complex reasons for not taking their medications as prescribed – meaning there is no one size fits all solution. Instead, sponsors should take a data-driven approach … Read More
Setting the Stage for Better Medication Adherence in Clinical Trials
When clinical trial participants do not follow the dosing protocol, it can result in an underestimation of a drug’s therapeutic effect. With inability to demonstrate efficacy being the leading cause of study failure worldwide1, it’s an issue sponsors cannot afford … Read More
How Effective Are Digital Pills at Measuring Medication Adherence?
While digital pills have long been hailed as a valuable solution to the stubborn medication adherence problem, there have been questions about their use, in terms of intrusiveness, acceptance, and reliability. But with the evidence base expanding, there are opportunities … Read More
From DOT to VDOT: An Evidence Backed Review of Video Directly Observed Therapy
Even the most efficacious medicines do not work when people don’t take them – and the same is true for digital medication adherence monitoring. Because while the approach has huge potential in clinical trials and routine practice alike, embracing the … Read More
EFPIA Calls for Greater Clarity Around the Regulatory Role of Digital Health Technology
Digital health technologies (DHT), including digital medication adherence monitoring, have the potential to revolutionize drug development, and must be given every opportunity to succeed. That’s according to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) reflection paper, which has … Read More
Pfizer Acknowledges the Need for Better Medication Adherence in Clinical Trials
Drug giant, Pfizer has highlighted the need for effective, patient-centered medication adherence management in clinical trials. Nothing stops a drug from working more than not taking it, but, as medicine and leadership pioneer and Pfizer’s Chief Medical Officer, said, non-adherence … Read More
ESPACOMP Backs Electronic Medication Monitoring as “Method of Choice” for Quantifying Medication Adherence in Clinical Trials
Effectively measuring medication adherence relies on selecting the most appropriate data source – and for clinical trials, that data source is electronic medication monitoring. The TEOS (timelines-events-objectives-source) guideline provides a clear framework on how to assess medicine-taking behavior relative to … Read More