FDA backs NCL's medication adherence campaign

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration is putting its weight behind a campaign by the National Consumers League to combat poor medication adherence.

According to an entry in The Federal Register, the agency is awarding a $40,000 grant for the year to the NCL, as well as the possibility of additional $40,000 grants next year and the year after, to fund the organization’s national campaign to bring together retail pharmacy chains, healthcare professionals, insurance companies, drug companies, health information technology companies, businesses, labor unions, government agencies and others in order to target patients with chronic disease states and healthcare practitioners.

In addition to putting patients at risk, poor medication adherence is estimated to cost the economy $290 billion per year, according to the entry.