The Effects of Using the RxTimerCap© on Patient Medication Adherence

Abstract

Objectives: Medication adherence tools and technologies can have a significant impact on the level of drug therapy continuation as well as improved outcomes. The RxTimerCap© is a device that aims to act as a medication adherence cap with an embedded timer to indicate the time since the medication was last taken. Our aim was to assess if this cap technology would aid in increased drug adherence and duration of therapy with abiraterone (Zytiga®). Methods: The study was a prospective, single-center, interventional study that included males 18 or older being treated with Zytiga for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer. Medication possession ratio (MPR) and duration on therapy were the primary measures used to assess if there would be improved adherence. Paired t- tests were used to analyze the data and assess the significance of the outcomes. Results: There was no significant difference between patients in MPR (p = 0.50) or in the duration of treatment (p = 0.20). Conclusions: The difference in adherence rates for patients using the RxTimerCap© and those using the standard vial cap were non-significant. The limited size of our study population and short study duration may have led to these undifferentiated outcomes. Future studies should examine this type of adherence technology in a larger sample of patients with a prolonged window of observation to better assess the benefits of using the RxTimerCap©.