Daily Medication Management and Adherence in the Polymedicated Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal

Daniel Gomes, Ana Isabel Placido, Rita Mó, João Lindo Simões, Odete Amaral, Isabel Fernandes, Fátima Lima, Manuel Morgado, Adolfo Figueiras, Maria Teresa Herdeiro and Fátima Roque
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Daniel Gomes: Research Unit for Inland Development—Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300 Guarda, Portugal
Ana Isabel Placido: Research Unit for Inland Development—Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300 Guarda, Portugal
Rita Mó: Health Sciences Faculty, University of Beira Interior (FCS-UBI), 6200 Covilhã, Portugal
João Lindo Simões: Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), 4000 Porto, Portugal
Odete Amaral: Health Sciences School, Polytechnic of Viseu IPV, 3430 Viseu, Portugal
Isabel Fernandes: Research Unit for Inland Development—Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300 Guarda, Portugal
Fátima Lima: Local Health Unit of Guarda (ULS Guarda), 6300 Guarda, Portugal
Manuel Morgado: Research Unit for Inland Development—Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300 Guarda, Portugal
Adolfo Figueiras: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15702 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Maria Teresa Herdeiro: Department of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Aveiro (iBIMED-UA), 3800 Aveiro, Portugal
Fátima Roque: Research Unit for Inland Development—Polytechnic of Guarda (UDI-IPG), 6300 Guarda, Portugal

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: The presence of age-related comorbidities prone elderly patients to the phenomenon of polypharmacy and consequently to a higher risk of nonadherence. Thus, this paper aims to characterize the medication consumption profile and explore the relationship of beliefs and daily medication management on medication adherence by home-dwelling polymedicated elderly people. A questionnaire on adherence, managing, and beliefs of medicines was applied to polymedicated patients with ≥65 years old, in primary care centers of the central region of Portugal. Of the 1089 participants, 47.7% were considered nonadherent. Forgetfulness (38.8%), difficulties in managing medication (14.3%), concerns with side effects (10.7%), and the price of medication (9.2%) were pointed as relevant medication nonadherence-related factors. It was observed that patients who had difficulties managing medicines, common forgetfulness, concerns with side effects, doubting the need for the medication, considered prices expensive, and had a lack of trust for some medicines had a higher risk of being nonadherent. This study provides relevant information concerning the daily routine and management of medicines that can be useful to the development of educational strategies to promote health literacy and improve medication adherence in polymedicated home-dwelling elderly.

Keywords: elderly; polypharmacy; daily management of medication; medication adherence; self-care; nonadherence related factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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