Transplant Adherence Program

New education program launched for kidney recipients and caregivers

A kidney transplant is a life-changing experience that allows the recipient to enjoy newfound health and a completely new lease on life.

Despite these benefits, some kidney recipients find the adjustment to post-transplant life a difficult one. The adjustment requires “adherence”, which means taking prescribed medications at the same time every day for life, keeping all clinical appointments for regular blood work and recognizing the early signs of rejection. Incorporating adherence into one’s daily routine can be challenging, but it is crucial to long-term post-transplant health.

The Transplant Adherence Program is a free, new initiative designed to help post-transplant kidney patients start off on the right foot, with tools and information to help transplant recipient develop or maintain good habits when it comes to their treatment and overall care.

This program was developed for adult kidney recipients, regardless of the medication they are on, or when they had their transplant. Developed in consultation with nephrologists and renal transplant recipients, the program includes newsletters, an information booklet, self-evaluation tools, a website and reminder tools such as an alarm pill box and a day planner.

Although not all the information may be directly applicable to other transplant recipients (e.g. signs of rejection), the importance of following medical advice, keeping clinic appointments, and using reminders to help with medication adherence is relevant information for all transplant recipients.

For more information or to sign up to the Transplant Adherence Program, visit
www.transplantadherence.ca or call 1-877-691-7455.

The Transplant Adherence Program is one of several community-based initiatives supported by Astellas Pharma Canada, Inc.