Script Your Future campaign reaches three-year milestone in adherence awareness

Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News staff

Having completed its initial three-year program, the Script Your Future campaign has educated millions of patients, family caregivers, and healthcare professionals about the importance of medication adherence. The milestone was recognized at the annual meeting of the partners behind the Script Your Future campaign, which is coordinated by the National Consumers League and was launched in 2011.

While packaging has not played a central role in the program, Rebecca Burkholder, Vice President of Health Policy, National Consumers League (NCL), says that “packaging is one tool that can support adherence. Script Your Future is a public awareness campaign telling patients about tools and resources to support adherence, and packaging is part of the solution.”

According to NCL, the Script Your Future campaign has reached 12 million patients, distributed more than a million wallet cards for managing multiple medications, and provided direct counseling to 60,000 Americans. The campaign boasts more than 130 “Committed Partners” and other supporters, which include pharmaceutical companies, healthcare professional groups, chronic disease groups, health insurance plans, business organizations, consumer groups, researchers, and government agencies.

“The Script Your Future campaign has made a difference in the collective fight to increase awareness about this serious public health problem and has helped lay the groundwork for a healthier future for patients and our health care system,” said Janet Woodcock, MD, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, in a news release shared by NCL. “The involvement of dozens of organizations, significant grass-roots support in the six pilot cities, and participation by health care professionals of the future through the Adherence Team Challenge has contributed to the success of this campaign.”

Burkholder tells PMP News that packaging that is easier for patients to use can help support adherence. She notes research out of the packaging sector shows that adherence can be improved through the use of certain packaging. (A whitepaper outlining research studies on calendarized, compliance-prompting packaging has been published by the Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council and can be found at hcpconline.org.)

At the meeting, awards were presented to winners of the 2014 Medication Adherence Team Challenge for developing creative ideas to raise awareness about medication adherence. Winners are Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Touro University California College of Pharmacy, Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy, and University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Pharmacy.

To learn more about the campaign, visit ScriptYourFuture.org.