Mail-order prescriptions beneficial to heart patients?
Monday 25th July 2011
A mail-order prescription service could be beneficial to some patients, scientists maintain.
Research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine revealed that patients who obtained new statin prescriptions through a mail-order system gained greater control of their cholesterol than those who collected their drugs from a pharmacy.
Around 85 per cent of patients who used the mail-order pharmacy were seen to achieve target cholesterol levels, in comparison to 74.2 per cent of those using the local pharmacy, according to the research conducted at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California.
In the past, studies have revealed that mail-order prescriptions increase adherence to courses of treatment.
However, authors say this was the first study to explore whether such a system is associated with cardiovascular risk factor outcomes.
Lead author Julie Schmittdiel, of the institute, said: "While the findings of this study should be confirmed in a randomised controlled trial, they provide new evidence that mail-order pharmacy use may be associated with improved care and outcomes for patients for risk factors with cardiovascular disease.
"Though mail-order may not be right for all patients, this study shows that it is one possible tool in the broader health care system-level toolbox that can help patients meet their medication needs."
Researchers believe that the success of the mail-order pharmacy could reflect on improved access to medications.
For example, mail-order does not require travel to the local pharmacy, increasing the ease and convenience of accessing medications.
This follows research by a North Carolina State University team which revealed that patients who are at a high risk of stroke are the least likely to comply with prescribed statin treatment.
After one year, just 48 per cent of individuals prescribed statins were taking the medication correctly, with this figure plummeting to just 27 per cent after a decade.
Written by Angela Newbury
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