Compliance made easier

MANILA, Philippines - Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” sings Mary Poppins in the musical and its more popular Walt Disney film version. But when illness becomes chronic and treatment is continuous, it can be a difficult matter to maintain a cheerful disposition all the time. Apart from the difficulty of remembering to take the prescribed doses, the prohibitive costs of medication can add up to the burden of disease.

The recent launch of a compliance program by Watsons Personal Care Store and Pharex is one good means of encouraging patients to take their medications regularly. Apart from providing “Compliance Packs” that are more affordable, more accessible and more informative, the program allows patients to earn rewards points that will entitle them to free items or significant discounts on health and lifestyle products.

“This Compliance Pack program aligns with our advocacy of promoting better medication compliance among Filipinos,” says Robert Sun, chief operating officer of Watsons Personal Care Stores Inc. “Watsons has always been at the forefront of providing innovative products to help customers achieve better healthcare and better lives. Our products are designed to provide a positive effect in health and beauty of customers.” 

For the program, the company has partnered with Pharex, the country’s top generic medication provider, to ensure that Filipinos get high-quality yet affordable medicines. “As part of the private sector, we are challenged to do our share of helping elevate the quality of healthcare in the Philippines,” says Tomas Agana III, president and CEO of Pharex Health Corporation. “We take pride in our partnership with Watsons, who share our commitment to helping provide better healthcare to Filipinos. Through our joint program, the Watsons Patient Compliance Pack, we are aggressively promoting the importance of medication compliance among patients suffering from chronic illnesses.”

Currently, Compliance Packs to address chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes are available. “Mortality and morbidity rate of cardiovascular diseases are not improving despite a wide array of available medicines worldwide,” says Lyle Morell, business unit director of Watsons. ”This is due to poorly controlled management of chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes that are risk factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases.”

He shares that dosage compliance is generally low in developing countries like the Philippines, and identifies the tingi buying habit of Filipinos as one contributory factor leading to failure to take required medications. Understandably, there is a tendency to skip doses when supply on hand is not sufficient.

In addition, says Morell, there is a lack of appreciation of its treatment and most patients stop treatment when they feel better. This loss of interest in continuing medication can lead to progress of disease and its concomitant dire effects.

An upshot of the partnership of Watsons and Pharex is affordability because medicines are priced 45-60 percent lower, and 17 percent lower than buying medicines per piece. Medicines are sold in packs of 30 to lower the possibility of supplies running out, and a product leaflet is provided to promote awareness about the disease. Recognizing that patient compliance is enhanced by education, the leaflet includes information about the disease and its management, and a diet and nutrition guide. The ‘rewards card’ is a bonus that offers big discounts on health products to complement lifestyle changes that would ensure better management of disease.   The Compliance Pack program is aligned with the Department of Health’s One Hundred Pesos program which aims to provide treatment packs that will be made available at P100 or less.

“Watsons and Pharex’s Compliance Program couldn’t come at a better time. This program is very timely, and effectively ensures that better healthcare is now made available to Filipinos,” says lawyer Health undersecretary Alex Padilla. He continues, “Universal Healthcare for all Filipinos is a top priority of the Aquino administration in the next six years and this program is one means of ensuring that all Filipinos will get equal and easy access to better healthcare.”