Mail-order customers of diabetes drugs may have better treatment outcomes

Type 2 diabetes can be an extremely difficult condition to control, even among diabetics who buy Actos. The disease requires constant attention and it can be difficult for patients to remember all the medications they need to take. However, a new study shows that getting their medications from mail-order retailers, like Canadian internet pharmacies, may improve treatment outcomes.

A team of researchers reported in a recent issue of the Journal of Medical Economics that diabetes patients had significantly higher medical adherence rates when they got their medications from mail-order pharmacies, as opposed to retail locations, according to Drug Store News.

Medical adherence is the degree to which a patient follows the instructions of their doctors. This applies to whether or not they take their medications as prescribed. Lower medical adherence has been connected to poorer treatment outcomes.

The study did not determine why mail-order medicine customers had higher rates of medial adherence. However, it may be that these patients were given more support. These are the types of services offered by Canadian internet pharmacies. A study in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that individualized counseling from pharmacists improves treatment outcomes.