Compliance
A critical factor for therapeutic success
Ensure patient compliance to help maximize therapeutic effectiveness
Patients who adhered to study medication reduced their risk of hip fracture by 29% (the effect was noticed in patients who were taking ≥ 80% of their medication).1 If you want your patients to experience the benefits of observed-under-trial conditions with calcium + vitamin D3 supplementation (OS-CAL), they must take their calcium supplements regularly and persistently twice a day.
In the largest intervention study (36,282 participants):
“...efficacy in fracture reduction is enhanced among women adherent to calcium with vitamin D supplementation or is present only in this group.”1
New England Journal of Medicine Feb. 16, 2006
In a meta-analysis (4,508 participants):
“Poor compliance is a major obstacle to obtaining the full benefit of calcium supplementation.”2
“Trials with a higher compliance rate showed a significantly greater risk reduction than did those with lower compliance rates. Of the eight trials (n = 4508) that reported a compliance rate of 80% or more, the treatment was associated with a 24% risk reduction in all types (p<0.0001).”2
The Lancet Aug. 25, 2007
OS-CAL — Designed with compliance in mind
Patients can take fewer and smaller tablets per dose because it contains approximately 60% more elemental calcium per tablet than calcium citrate tablets
Directions tie dosing to meals, thus providing a simple memory cue
Coated smaller tablets help enhance ease of swallowing
Availability of great-tasting sugarless, chewable tablets enhance acceptance and convenience
No significant side effect differences between OS-CAL and placebo in terms of constipation, bloating, and gas
Package labeling aids compliance between OS-CAL and bisphosphonate medications
“Adequate calcium is considered a key component of any bone-protective therapeutic regimen.”
“Encouraging adequate intake of calcium should be a goal of all healthcare management plans for peri- and postmenopausal women. ... When it is necessary to increase calcium intake, most experts recommend consuming 500 mg of calcium or less at one time to maximize absorption.”3
North American Menopause Society Position Statement 20063
Hurdles to compliance4
Some patients are just reluctant to take any kind of treatment or medication. Also, since many patients are largely asymptomatic, they may not be worried about their osteoporosis. In fact, a recent study (n = 979) showed that 58% of patients (largely asymptomatic) were not worried about their osteoporosis and were not afraid of a fracture. Most thought that an osteoporosis therapy would not cure them of their osteoporosis and could not prevent a new fracture.
“Because calcium carbonate has about twice as much elemental calcium as calcium citrate ... fewer tablets are required to achieve a given dose of elemental calcium, resulting in decreased cost and a potentially increased rate of patient compliance.”
Journal of Women's Health — Sunyecz, 20055