“One of the biggest issues facing health care today is patient non-adherence to drug therapy, which is essentially the failure to take medications as prescribed,” said Gorecki. “If a patient fails to take their prescriptions properly, little improvement can be expected, and unfortunately, this is far too frequently the case.”

Supported by project partners Saskatchewan Health, AstraZeneca Canada, Merck Frosst Canada and Pfizer Canada, the $1.7 million Joint Venture on Patient Adherence program will create an academic chair in adherence research. The chair, who will oversee the program’s research and educational activities, will work with pharmacy, medical and nursing professionals to improve adherence and will interact with various patient groups to collect first-hand information on the issues and challenges of patient adherence to drug therapy.

The cost associated with patient non-adherence to drug therapy in Canada is estimated to be about $10 billion per year. “We fare no better in Saskatchewan,” said Minister of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Rob Norris. “We anticipate that the benefits from this venture will be threefold. First, and most importantly, it will enhance the health and wellness of the people of Saskatchewan. Second, it bolsters the work of students and scholars. Third, it will help foster greater collaboration with health-care professionals and industry. Our government is very pleased to support this program.”

“Supporting needed research in patient non-adherence through this joint venture program is an important step in improving the lives of patients and their loved ones, as well as reducing the burden on our health care system," said Mark Jones, president and CEO of AstraZeneca Canada. "This innovative partnership will bring together the resources required to improve our medical understanding of this issue and develop potential solutions to patient non-adherence to drug therapy for patients across the country.”

"The Joint Venture on Patient Adherence is another example of the innovative leadership Saskatchewan has demonstrated in health research," said Gregg Szabo, executive director of policy, reimbursement and communications with Merck Frosst Canada. "Merck Frosst is proud to support this collaborative partnership that will foster better research and education to improve health outcomes for the people of Saskatchewan."

“This Joint Venture on Patient Adherence program is an excellent example of collaboration among the government, the academic sector and private industry,” said Ghislain Boudreau, vice-president of public affairs and stakeholder relations with Pfizer Canada. “Health innovation requires a positive research infrastructure and environment, collaborative partners and a strong vision which we know exists in Saskatchewan”.

Located in the heart of Saskatoon, the University of Saskatchewan is one of the leading medical doctoral universities in Canada. With 58 degrees, diplomas and certificates in over 100 areas of study, the university is uniquely positioned in the areas of human, animal and plant studies. World-class research facilities, renowned faculty and award winning students make the U of S a leader in post-secondary education.

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For more information, contact:

Lisa Green, Development Officer
College of Pharmacy & Nutrition
University of Saskatchewan
Telephone: (306) 966-5823
Email: lisa.green@usask.ca