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Patient Perceptions Regarding Enrollment in Automatic Prescription Refill Programs

Background: Research has shown that medication adherence is strongly associated with improved patient outcomes and lower health care costs. Although adherence strategies, including automatic prescription refill programs, improve medication adherence to varying degrees, no report to date has examined patient perceptions of and barriers to enrollment in automatic refill programs. This study analyzes patient perceptions of and predictors of enrollment in automatic prescription refill programs through a cross-sectional analysis of patients at a grocer-based community pharmacy. Objectives: To determine patient perceptions regarding automatic prescription refill programs and identify potential barriers to enrollment. Methods: Patient perceptions regarding an automatic refill program were gathered through a survey and assessed using exploratory factor analysis and binary logistic regression techniques for significant predictors of program enrollment. A convenience sample of pharmacy patrons 18 years of age and older was identified at a grocer-based community pharmacy. Results: A total of 110 surveys were evaluated. Hypertension and mental health conditions were the most commonly reported disorders (29.1% and 26.4%, respectively). Enrollment in the program more than doubled during the study period, and all participants enrolled at baseline chose to remain in the program. Eight different perceptions were identified that accounted for approximately 79.14% of data variance. Of the perceptions identified, patients’ sense of satisfaction, in terms of receiving timely, convenient medication refills and not running out of medications, significantly predicted enrollment in the automatic refill program (P = .0036). Conclusions: Automatic prescription refill programs are known to support patient adherence to medications. Promoting a refill program as a timely and convenient means of safeguarding against running out of medications or medication refills may increase program enrollment and, consequently, medication adherence.