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Unit dose calendar packaging and elderly patient compliance
G J Ware1, N H Holford, J G Davison
1Auckland Hospital.
The New Zealand Medical Journal
|November 27, 1991
Summary
Calendar packaging significantly improved medication adherence in elderly patients post-discharge. This unit dose system enhances self-medication success and is a cost-effective healthcare solution.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Medication non-adherence is a significant challenge in elderly patients.
- Effective medication management systems are crucial for successful self-care post-discharge.
- Traditional packaging methods often lead to errors in elderly patient self-administration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a unit dose calendar packaging system (Webster-Pak) for medication management.
- To compare patient compliance rates between calendar packaging and conventional methods in elderly patients.
- To assess the impact of calendar packaging on successful self-medication in hospital and community settings.
Main Methods:
- A controlled trial was conducted in a geriatric assessment and rehabilitation unit.
- Eighty-four elderly patients were divided into two groups: calendar pack users (study) and conventional pack users (control).
- Patient compliance was monitored for three months after hospital discharge.
Main Results:
- The study group using calendar packs showed significantly higher patient compliance rates compared to the control group at all follow-up points.
- Compliance rates at three months post-discharge were 48.9% for the study group versus 23.1% for the control group.
- Calendar packaging demonstrated a marked improvement in medication adherence among elderly patients.
Conclusions:
- Unit dose calendar packaging (Webster-Pak) is a cost-effective method for improving medication delivery in elderly patients.
- This packaging system enhances successful self-medication and patient compliance.
- The availability of unit dose packaging should be considered within healthcare budgets for geriatric care.
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