Association of Medication Noncompliance and Preventable Hospitalization: A Literature Analysis and Direct Costs Associated with Preventable Hospitalizations

Abstract: This study used a meta-analytic approach to systematically search, compile, and summarize the existing literature on hospitalization related to medication noncompliance and estimate direct costs associated with these hospitalizations. Applying strict criteria produced 26 studies and a total of 46,150 admissions with comparable methodologies for evaluation. Analysis revealed that 6.43 percent of admissions can be attributed to drug therapy noncompliance and, therefore, might be preventable. Using annual admission rates and inpatient hospital costs from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, the study estimate over 2.5 million admissions were due to drug therapy noncompliance. This represents $16 billion in unnecessary hospital expenditures in 2005, approximately 1.92 percent of all inpatient hospital expenditures that year.