Medication adherence is a crucial component in the treatment of chronic diseases. In the elderly, clinicians are faced with a unique set of problems associated with adherence that they may not have been adequately trained for. In this paper, we demonstrate the importance of medication adherence in the elderly through a case study.Author:
Angela Frances Yap, Thiru Thirumoorthy, Yu Heng KwanCited by:
Publish Year:
2016

How can medication adherence be improved in the elderly?

5 Ways to Improve Medication Adherence in Chronic Care Patients What is keeping patients from using their meds? Set up reminders, organizational systems. Identify cost-cutting strategies. Address mental barriers and stigma. Direct symptom, side effect management.

What are the barriers to effective medication management for older adults?

Barriers to effective medication management among older adults include cognitive impairment, poor vision, and financial burden.

How do you promote medication adherence?

Nine Tips for Improving Medication Adherence Educate patients about what to expect. Nurture relationships with patients. Team up with prescribers. Engage the staff. Learn about and use available technologies. Help patients customize their support tools. Schedule appointments. Synchronize medications .

What are the patient factors likely to affect medication adherence?

There were 6 main factors relating to patients were demographics , physical and mental function, disease and treatment, family history, and menopausal factors. Having lower education levels was linked to poorer medication adherence. Poorer medication adherence was also linked to higher age of menopause.

Why is medication adherence important to patients?

Persistent use of secondary preventive drugs declines rapidly during the first two years after stroke. 50% of patients are persistent with chronic medication therapy. Poor medication adherence leads to: Increased morbidity and death.

Why is medication adherence important?

Taking your medicine as prescribed or medication adherence is important for controlling chronic conditions, treating temporary conditions, and overall long-term health and well-being. A personal connection with your health-care provider or pharmacist is an important part of medication adherence .

What is the most common medication problem in the elderly?

Warfarin is one of the most common causes of medication -related hospitalizations in older adults . To reduce the risk of serious problems , one may need to apply extra care in monitoring warfarin effect (via the prothrombin blood test) and extra care in checking for interactions when a new drug is prescribed.

What drug should be avoided in geriatric patients?

AVOID products that contain the antihistamines diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and chlorpheniramine (AllerChlor, Chlor-Trimeton). These medications are often included in OTC remedies for coughs, colds, and allergies. AVOID OTC sleep products, like Tylenol PM, which contain antihistamines such as diphenhydramine.

What are the barriers to adherence?

Barriers to good medication adherence according to the general practitioners (GPs) Poor knowledge of the illness and medication. Administering and dosage of the medication. Independent pausing, stopping or controlling of the medication. Lack of competence in self-management.

What are adherence strategies?

Medication Adherence is defined by a patient taking their medications as prescribed or continuing to take their medications. Medication taking is behavioral and addressing patients that are non-adherent by providing support and resources can help lead to better outcomes. The 13^th Surgeon General of United States, C.

How do you talk to patients about medication adherence?

Here are ways to discuss medication adherence with patients : Discuss why a particular medication is needed. Talk about the patient’s long term and short term goals. Discuss common side effects.

How do you motivate someone to take medication?

There are several ways to increase motivation to take medication as prescribed. Think about why you are taking the medication in the first place. Track progress in a journal. Take your medication at a similar time each day. Use a medication planner/pill box. Enlist family and friends to help with these strategies.

What are patient factors?

The Health Interview Survey was used to gather information about socioeconomic factors (e.g., age, gender, education level, and household monthly income) and health-related factors (e.g., duration of diabetes illness, self-rated health, regular exercise).

Why is adherence important?

Adherence is the most important thing you have to think about when you start treatment. It will make sure that all the drugs in your combination are at high enough levels to control HIV for 24 hours a day, 7days a week. If these levels drop too low it increases the risk of resistance.

What are some factors related to seeking medical treatment?

Several factors , related to psychological (disregard or trivialization of detected symptoms , family and friend support), demographic (education, living in a major city), behavioral (lack of time, self‐examination), and health‐system (having been diagnosed by an oncologist) attributes determined delay in seeking medical