Case Managers

Adherence to Diabetes Medication: Why It’s Important

Managing diabetes successfully can be challenging. Patients with good diabetes self-care behaviors usually attain glycemic control. However, some diabetes regimens can be complex, and many patients do not achieve glycemic control. As a result, patients continue to suffer diabetes related health problems.

Case managers, among other health care providers, recognize that if patients with diabetes adhered to treatment recommendations, they could manage long-term diabetes-related complications. The fact that so many patients do not adhere to treatment recommendations can be very frustrating.

What affects adherence?

There are many reasons for nonadherence to diabetes regimens:

  • Fear of treatment side effects, such as hypoglycemia (too low blood sugar)
  • Needle anxiety (injectable therapies)
  • Inconvenience or complexity of a prescribed treatment
  • Cost of treatment or formulary issues
  • Poor patient knowledge about the importance of glycemic control

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