Abstract
Factors contributing to improper use of medication were examined in 40 patients aged 65 years or more who were in a home care program. They reported taking an average of 3.8 prescription medications and 1.2 nonprescription medications each. Pill counts showed that they were actually taking 57% of the prescribed medications; compliance decreased with the number of medications concurrently prescribed. Poor labelling instructions, difficulty opening childproof containers and misunderstanding of verbal instructions contributed to this problem. The patients tended to rely more on physicians than on pharmacists or visiting nurses for advice problems with medication.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Atkinson L., Gibson I., Andrews J. An investigation into the ability of elderly patients continuing to take prescribed drugs after discharge from hospital and recommendations concerning improving the situation. Gerontology. 1978;24(3):225–234. doi: 10.1159/000212253. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Eustace C. A., Johnson G. J., Gault M. H. Improvements in drug prescription labels for patients with limited education or vision. Can Med Assoc J. 1982 Aug 15;127(4):301–302. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gotz B. E., Gotz V. P. Drugs and the elderly. Am J Nurs. 1978 Aug;78(8):1347–1351. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jenkins G. H. Drug compliance and the elderly patient. Br Med J. 1979 Jan 13;1(6156):124–124. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6156.124. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Korcok M. Drugs and the elderly. Can Med Assoc J. 1978 May 20;118(10):1320, 1325-6. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SCHWARTZ D., WANG M., ZEITZ L., GOSS M. E. Medication errors made by elderly, chronically ill patients. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1962 Dec;52:2018–2029. doi: 10.2105/ajph.52.12.2018. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sherman F. T., Warach J. D., Libow L. S. Child-resistant containers for the elderly? JAMA. 1979 Mar 9;241(10):1001–1002. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Vener A. M., Krupka L. R., Climo J. J. Drug usage and health characteristics in noninstitutional retired persons. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1979 Feb;27(2):83–90. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1979.tb03346.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wandless I., Mucklow J. C., Smith A., Prudham D. Compliance with prescribed medicines: a study of elderly patients in the community. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1979 Jul;29(204):391–396. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]