TRICARE joins campaign to increase medication adherence Published June 3, 2011 FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFNS) -- TRICARE joined the U.S. surgeon general and other partners recently in Washington D.C. to launch the Script Your Future campaign, which encourages patients to take their medications as directed. The Script Your Future campaign's primary goal is patient education and awareness, focused on patients with three serious chronic conditions: diabetes, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease. According to the National Consumer League, which leads the campaign, one in three Americans never fills his or her prescription, and nearly three out of four Americans do not take their medications as directed. This trend of poor adherence is linked to one third of hospital admissions. This is especially true for people with chronic health conditions that can worsen quickly without proper medication use. In addition, the NCL reports that up to $290 billion a year in medical costs can be attributed to poor medication adherence. In order to reverse this trend, the Script Your Future campaign encourages patients to properly use medication and medical devices, like asthma inhalers; develop strategies to make it easier to remember to take medications; and communicate with their doctor and pharmacist about all their over-the-counter and prescription medications. The campaign also teaches patients about the negative health affects of poor medication adherence. "The least effective and most expensive pill TRICARE provides is the one a beneficiary never takes," said Rear Adm. Thomas J. McGinnis, chief of TRICARE pharmacy operations. "Following the labeled directions for prescription medications is one of the easiest ways to help protect and improve overall wellness. Read the instructions carefully and contact a doctor or pharmacist with any questions." The Script Your Future campaign is online at www.scriptyourfuture.org. The website includes tips and tools to help individuals improve adherence. These include a "question builder" to help patients start conversations with their doctor, printable lists to keep track of medications and worksheets to help build a plan to take medication as prescribed. For more information on the TRICARE Pharmacy, patients can go online and visit www.tricare.mil/pharmacy. (Courtesy of TRICARE.)