Medication use by ambulatory elderly. An in-home survey

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Pharmaceutics
• Public Health

Background:

• Medication management is crucial for elderly health.
• Understanding medication profiles in urban elderly populations is essential for targeted interventions.
• Subsidized housing presents unique challenges and opportunities for medication adherence research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine a comprehensive medication profile of elderly residents in an urban subsidized apartment building.
• To assess medication compliance rates and identify factors influencing adherence.
• To evaluate the prevalence of adverse drug reactions and patient-reported concerns.

Main Methods:

• Interviews conducted by doctor of pharmacy candidates with 155 elderly residents.
• Data collection on medication profiles, compliance, adverse drug reactions, and container accessibility.
• Statistical analysis to identify correlations between variables such as age, gender, container type, and compliance.

Main Results:

• Medication compliance rate was 49.3%, similar to previous reports.
• Adverse drug reactions were reported by 29.1% of participants.
• Inability to open easy-open containers was linked to decreased compliance (P = .03).
• Men showed higher compliance than women (68.4% vs. 42.4%, P = .006) but took fewer medications.
• Perceived excessive medication intake correlated with diminished compliance (P = .003).

Conclusions:

• Medication compliance in this urban elderly population is moderate, with significant room for improvement.
• Container accessibility and gender are significant factors affecting medication adherence.
• Interventions should consider patient-specific challenges, including container usability and perceptions of medication necessity.