Campaign introduces a new "superhero" to protect the health of local citizens

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ROCHESTER, NY (02/19/2014)(readMedia)-- Excellus BlueCross BlueShield today launched a community engagement campaign to help protect people against deteriorating health conditions, hospitalizations and sometimes deaths that can result when they don't take their prescription medications as directed.

The centerpiece of the campaign is a stylized prescription bottle called TAD, for "Take As Directed," adorned with a superhero cape and utility belt. The TAD superhero conveys simple messages about the importance of medication adherence.

"When it comes to fighting chronic conditions, a prescription drug can be a superhero, but it only works if patients let it," said Mona Chitre, Pharm.D., vice president and chief pharmacy officer, Excellus BCBS. "A key message of the campaign is that 'If you're not taking your prescriptions as directed, you're taking a chance.'"

"The superhero theme was selected because just about everyone likes superhero movies and generations of patients with chronic illnesses, for which medication adherence is particularly important, grew up reading comic books with superheroes," Chitre added. "In fact, 10 new superhero movies are scheduled for release this year."

Supporting the campaign are members of several upstate medical societies, pharmacy groups, county health departments and health-related organizations.

"Doctors can do remarkable things with prescription medications to improve the health and quality of life of people suffering from a wide variety of chronic medical conditions," said Joseph DiPoala Jr., M.D., incoming president of the Monroe County Medical Society.

"But too often, patients don't take their medication as directed," added DiPoala of Ridgeview Internal Medicine Group in Irondequoit. "Patients worry about medication side effects or believe they feel fine without taking it. The key is to talk to your doctor about your concerns before doing something that could cause you irreversible harm."

Individuals might not take their prescriptions as directed because it's too expensive or inconvenient to have the prescription filled or refilled. Others may forget to take the medication when they should, especially if they take multiple medications on different schedules.

"It's important for patients to discuss with physicians any barriers they may encounter in taking medications as directed," said Kathleen Dyman, Executive Vice President, The Medical Societies of Oneida and Herkimer Counties. "Share your concerns. No barrier is insurmountable."

Cynthia Morrow, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health, Onondaga County Health Department, notes that people offer a variety of reasons, ranging from 'I forgot' to 'It's too expensive,' for not taking their medication as directed. "If you have any problems taking your medicine as prescribed, talk to your doctor," she said. "Together, you can solve any medication-related problem."

The public education campaign highlights a website, ExcellusBCBS.com/TakeAsDirected, that offers information and medication adherence tips to help people overcome barriers to taking prescriptions as directed.

According to the American Heart Association, poor medication adherence takes the lives of 125,000 Americans annually and costs the health care system nearly $300 billion a year in additional doctor visits, emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

From 2007 to 2010, about half of the U.S. population and 90 percent of adults age 60 and older used at least one prescription drug during the past month, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Over the past decade, the number of people using five or more prescription drugs increased by 70 percent, according to the CDC. These statistics are cited in a new Excellus BCBS fact sheet titled, "The facts about prescription drug use and medication adherence."

In the coming months, TAD will be carrying the message to the public through a series of print ads, outdoor billboards and a radio spot. A television ad is planned for the future.

For more information about medication adherence, go to ExcellusBCBS.com/TakeAsDirected. Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #TakeAsDirected.

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Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, is part of a family of companies that finances and delivers vital health care services to about 1.8 million people across upstate New York. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield provides access to high-quality, affordable health coverage, including valuable health-related resources that our members use every day, such as cost-saving prescription drug discounts and wellness tracking tools in our Step Up program. To learn more, visit excellusbcbs.com.

Related Media:

Take as Directed - Mona Chitre, PharmD - Excellus BCBS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBihFBzxGR4&fs=1&rel=0

Superhero fights for good health - Excellus BCBS - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez1hEcrRAN4&fs=1&rel=0