Empowering patients in treatment of chronic diseases

Weakened they may be because of their chronic illnesses, patients are now getting to be empowered to actively take part in their own treatment.

Traditionally, patients let their doctors decide what drug to take and the length of treatment. The fast-changing times have also brought changes in the way chronic diseases are managed. Far from being a passive observer, patients are now playing a more active role in the management of their chronic illnesses.

Times are hard. With the shrinking of the peso, the not-so-moneyed or pragmatic people watch their finances cautiously, to the extent of considering their health a second priority.

Various factors have made Filipinos become health-conscious. If anything, they have become wiser and more practical in the management of their illnesses.

"It is a given fact that maintenance of treatment will really puncture our pockets, " said Luzviminda (not her real name), a housewife who has elevated cholesterol levels. "The key is to look for an effective drug which would fit our budgets."

Luzviminda was one of the many patients who benefited from the introduction of pharmacoeconomics, whose underlying principle is to help the patient follow the required treatment by providing him with a bioequivalent medicine at a more reasonable cost. Bioequivalence means the drug is safe and has the same therapeutic effect of the innovator product.

Her doctor prescribed a statin to be taken daily. She used to buy a statin which cost more than P80. With her doctor attuned to pharmacoeconomics, she was shifted to another brand of simvastatin at almost half the price of the drug she used to take.

For more than two years, she has struggled to squeeze her medicine into her family’s budget. She could not risk not to take her medicine because her doctor warned her of the possible consequences of not taking them. "Since the introduction of this affordable statin, I no longer have to make a choice between my medicine and other necessities," she said.

Another benefit of pharmacoeconomics is the protection which comes from adhering to the treatment regimen. With an affordable statin, patients with abnormal cholesterol levels can be assured of a greater protection from their diseases due to the regularity of intake of their medicines. Enhanced treatment compliance can also help reduce the risk of complications.

As in Luzviminda’s case, the introduction of pharmacoeconomics is seen to benefit chronic patients around the world. The burden of long-term diseases is now of epidemic proportion worldwide.

In 2001, chronic diseases contributed approximately 59 percent of the 56.5 million total reported deaths in the world and 46 percent of the global burden of disease.

In the Philippines, six of the top 10 causes of morbidity are due to lingering diseases.

Through pharmacoeconomics and the drugs it has made available such as statins, patients with chronic diseases will be capable of maintaining their treatment regimens without compromising the other needs of their families.

Therapharma and the other divisions of Unilab have pledged their commitment to pharmacoeconomics to deliver high-quality and affordable medicines to every Filipino family.

Health experts though emphasize that although patients are now empowered to play an active role in their treatment, they have to be reminded that their drugs such as simvastatin are prescription drugs and should only be bought and taken upon the advice of their doctors.