Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026
Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
MEDICATION ADHERENCE IN ELDERLY WITH POLYPHARMACY LIVING AT HOME: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EXISTING STUDIES
Erika Zelko1, Zalika Klemenc-Ketis2, Ksenija Tusek-Bunc1
1Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
Background:
We wanted to systematically review the available evidence to evaluate the drug adherence in elderly with polypharmacy living at home.
Methods:
We performed a literature search using MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, ProQuest, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Springer Link, Sage Journals and CINAHL. We used the following terms: Medication Adherence, Medication Compliance, Polypharmacy, and Elderly. The search was limited to English-language articles. We included only clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and cross-sectional studies.
Results:
A total of seven articles were included in this systematic review after applying the search strategy. Six studies dealt with the prevalence of medication adherence and its correlates in patients aged 65 years or more with polypharmacy. Two studies dealt with the effect of various interventions on medication adherence in patients aged 65 years or more with polypharmacy.
Conclusion:
The available literature on the polypharmacy and drug adherence in elderly living at home is scarce and further studies are needed.