This page contains facts, stats and quotes that LPC members may find useful when writing business cases or developing resources to support the commissioning of certain services.

This page is ‘work in progress’ and will continue to be updated with new facts, stats and quotes.

Facts, stats and quotes on other topics can be accessed on the Essential facts, stats and quotes page.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Medicines Optimisation: helping patients to make the most of medicines. Good practice guidance for healthcare professionals in England (May 2013)

• Medicines use today is too often suboptimal.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Clinical guideline CG76: Medicines adherence: involving patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence (January 2009)

• Meta-analysis of available randomised controlled trials suggests multiple interventions are required to maintain high adherence to long-term therapy.

Haynes RB, Ackloo E, Sahota N, McDonald HP, Yao X. Interventions for enhancing medication adherence. Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews (April 2008)

• Studies have shown that many patients (between 30 and 50%) do not take their medicines as intended. 

Barber N, Parsons J, Clifford S, Darracott R, Horne R. Patients’ problems with new medication for chronic conditions. Quality and Safety in Healthcare (2004)

• As few as 16% of patients prescribed a new medicine take it as prescribed, experience no problems and receive as much information as they need.