Assessment of the Follow-up of Osteoporotic Patients by a Physician-pharmacist Collaboration

Treatments allow decreasing the personal fracture risk from 48% to 85% provided that the treatment period is continued at least 3 to 5 years and that hygienic and dietary measures are applied: optimization of the dietary calcium intakes (much more efficient and less dangerous than the medicinal intakes), preservation of a physical activity, fall prevention. The ability of bisphosphonate for decreasing significantly the number of fractures was proved, but the lack of lasting adhesion (persistence) and of flanking measures leads to believe their efficiency may be enhanced: the hip-fracture rate decreases from 2.1% for the non-adherents to 1,3% for the patients with observance, which represents a one-half reduction.

The cost of surgery for a femoral neck fracture is estimated at 8500 euros. So the prevention of only one femoral neck fracture entails a huge economy.

However, 50% of women stop their treatment before a year and the implementation of hygienic and dietary measures leads to a lifestyle change, and faces long time ingrained habits. Only 42% of patients continue their treatment after two years, and only 16% after three years.