Medication adherence in clinical trials: are we finally paying attention❓ Two recent publications in pharmacy practice journals have…

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Medication adherence in clinical trials: are we finally paying attention❓ Two recent publications in pharmacy practice journals have entered the conversation: 📄 Shukla et al. Medication adherence in clinical trials: missing the forest for the trees (International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 2025) https://lnkd.in/dbc3nDRA 📄 Belančić et al. Why are we still overlooking adherence in clinical trials? (European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 2025) https://lnkd.in/djevycqW What makes these papers particularly noteworthy is that their authors are healthcare professionals. Their message is clear and difficult to ignore: ✅ Accurate measurement of medication adherence is essential for the validity, reliability and generalizability of clinical trial results. ✅ Clinical trials should move beyond outdated adherence assumptions and systematically integrate digital adherence measurement and adherence-enhancing interventions into trial design, conduct and reporting. For decades, drug development has largely operated under the assumption that study medication is taken as prescribed. Yet we know from extensive evidence that patients often do not take medications exactly as intended, even in the highly controlled environment of clinical trials. The consequence? Variability in treatment exposure is frequently attributed to pharmacology, patient characteristics or product performance when the true explanation may simply be differences in medication use. When adherence is not measured accurately, trial outcomes become harder to interpret, potentially compromising the integrity of the evidence base. What is particularly striking is that healthcare professionals are increasingly raising concerns about these outdated practices. They recognize that deficiencies in drug development do not remain confined to clinical trials. They ultimately affect prescribing decisions, treatment guidelines and clinical practice downstream. This should be a wake-up call. 📣 Sponsors and regulators should listen carefully to this message. These healthcare professionals are the customers and users of the evidence generated through clinical trials. Most importantly, patients deserve a better approach. Patients volunteer their time, take risks and place their trust in the research process. We owe it to them to ensure that every trial captures not only whether a treatment works, but also whether it was actually taken. The technology to measure and manage medication adherence accurately already exists. The question is no longer whether adherence matters. The question is: why are we still overlooking it❓ #ICHE6(R3) #ClinicalTrials #DrugDevelopment #MedicationAdherence #DigitalHealth #ClinicalResearch #PatientCentricity #EvidenceGeneration #RegulatoryScience #PharmacyPractice #MedTech Why are we still overlooking adherence in clinical trials? A call to extend medication adherence-enhancing interventions and monitoring beyond real-world practice - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40889885/