Table 2.

Individualized and targeted strategies to address differential diagnoses to medication adherence

Differential Diagnosis	Individualized, Targeted Strategy
Medication Complexity	• Deprescribe inappropriate or unnecessary medications [4, 54, 55]   • Optimize medication regimens by reducing administration frequency and converting to long-acting medications when possible [4, 56, 57]   • Utilize combination therapy when appropriate to minimize the daily number of medications taken by a patient [60–62]   • Consider a clinical pharmacy consult for medication review and assistance [55, 58, 59]
Cognitive Impairment	• Screen for cognitive impairment early [38]   • Work with an interprofessional team to care for patients with cognitive impairment [46]   • Use technology, such as automatic and electronic reminders, to enforce medication adherence [63, 64]   • Encourage caregiver support when necessary [7, 50, 65]
Low Health Literacy	• Effectively communicate with patients by eliminating medical jargon and speaking in plain language [69, 71]   • Use teach-back method to confirm patient’s understanding [71]   • Provide a combination of verbal instructions and printed materials to patients [72–75]   • Complete a “brown-bag review” with patients to address all of their questions and concerns about their prescribed medications [8, 76]   • Build a lasting and trusting relationship with patients [46, 50]
Systems-Based Barriers	• Implement policy changes to improve healthcare access [73, 77]   • Choose an individualized drug regimen that will be affordable to patients who have concerns with drug cost [50, 78, 79]   • Work with health systems to advocate for fair drug pricing for patients [46, 73, 77]