Older adult medication compliance: integrated review of randomized controlled trials

To examine interventions and outcomes of medication compliance studies in older adults.

An integrated review of randomized controlled trials was completed.

Thirty-one of 57 studies reported significantly greater medication compliance in treatment subjects versus control subjects. Interventions included counseling, education, self-medication programs, cues and organizers, and decreasing dosing frequency. Decreasing dosing frequency and self-medication programs were successful, although not frequently evaluated.

Future studies should address methodologic flaws (eg, small sample sizes, measurement validity issues), test theory-based interventions delivered by diverse providers, evaluate intervention dose, and examine persistence of compliance behavior changes.