Medication Adherence Barriers among Multicultural Population Examined

White Paper Outlines Factors that Contribute to Lack of Adherence among Ethnic Minority Patients

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new white paper released by Global Advertising Strategies (Global) looks at key factors that contribute to medication non-adherence among ethnic minority patient population in the United States. “Blueprint for an Effective Cross-Cultural Medication Adherence Program” examines culturally-specific causes beyond socio-economic and cost-related that impact general medication adherence problems.

“A lack of culturally-adapted informational tools and educational resources, and issues in communication with healthcare professionals all contribute to alarming non-adherence statistics within those communities.”

Medication non-adherence results in an estimated 125,000 yearly deaths. Non-adherence rates among Hispanics and African-Americans exceed those of non-Hispanic whites. The economic impact of non-adherence weighs on patients and the medical industry alike, increasing patient morbidity and mortality, as well as accounting for an estimated loss of $100-$300 billion in direct and indirect spending by the pharmaceutical companies.

The study examines four culturally-specific categories -- core health beliefs and practices; cultural norms, values, and customs; health-related communication styles; family dynamics – and offers case-in-point scenarios of how those cultural nuances may lead to non-adherence. The whitepaper also offers step-by-step solutions to building an effective adherence program capable of lifting the cultural barriers.

“Relative to non-Hispanic white patients, Hispanics and African-Americans are believed to index 20% lower when it comes to medication adherence,” said Marc Duquette, Global’s VP of Corporate Development and General Counsel. “A lack of culturally-adapted informational tools and educational resources, and issues in communication with healthcare professionals all contribute to alarming non-adherence statistics within those communities.”

With multicultural populations projected to represent 40% of the U.S. by 2030, there is a clear need for the healthcare industry to tackle the problem of medication non-adherence from a cross-cultural perspective. Pharmaceutical companies have been slow to adopt cross-cultural segmentation strategies, however with a rapidly changing patient population, the task before healthcare marketers is clear. Simply providing in-language materials is not enough to ensure adequate adherence and compliance – it is critical that healthcare professionals possess the cultural insights that will allow them to effectively communicate with their cross-cultural patients and appropriately engage their perceptions about disease, therapy, and long-term adherence.

Unveiled at the 2012 ePharma Summit on February 7^th, “Blueprint for an Effective Cross-Cultural Medication Adherence Program” becomes the second consecutive whitepaper produced by Global that aims to alleviate healthcare disparities among the culturally diverse communities of the U.S.

For a limited time, the whitepaper is available for a free download at www.global-ny.com/insights.

For more information on the report as well as on Global Advertising Strategies, please contact Alex Moncion at 212.964.0030X117 or [e-mail].

About Global:

Global Advertising Strategies (www.global-ny.com) is a full-service cross-cultural marketing and communications agency headquartered in New York. Its client base consists of some of the world’s leading brands in the lifestyle, travel, entertainment, financial, pharmaceutical, and media industries. Its Cross-Cultural Healthcare Practice cultivates and executes successful campaigns for leading pharmaceutical companies looking to establish and build a brand identity within key cultural communities in the United States.