1. What Is Proportion Of Days Covered?

Proportion Of Days Covered (PDC) is a medication adherence measure that calculates the percentage of days a patient has medication available over a specific period. It's widely used in healthcare to assess medication compliance.

2. How Does The Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the PDC formula:

Where:

• \( \text{covered days} \) — Number of days medication was available
• \( \text{total days} \) — Total number of days in the measurement period

Explanation: The formula calculates the proportion of days covered by medication supply, expressed as a percentage.

3. Importance Of PDC Calculation

Details: PDC is crucial for measuring medication adherence, which directly impacts treatment effectiveness, patient outcomes, and healthcare costs. High PDC rates are associated with better disease management.

4. Using The Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of days medication was available and the total days in the measurement period. Covered days cannot exceed total days, and both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is considered a good PDC score?
A: Typically, PDC ≥ 80% is considered good adherence for most chronic medications.

Q2: How is PDC different from MPR?
A: While both measure adherence, PDC accounts for overlapping medication supplies and is generally considered more accurate for assessing daily medication coverage.

Q3: What time period should be used for PDC calculation?
A: Common measurement periods are 90, 180, or 365 days, depending on the medication and clinical context.

Q4: How are medication refills accounted for in PDC?
A: PDC considers medication availability days, accounting for early refills and overlapping supplies without double-counting days.

Q5: Why is medication adherence important?
A: Poor adherence leads to worse health outcomes, increased hospitalizations, higher healthcare costs, and reduced treatment effectiveness.