Acceptance of Pharmaceutical Services by Home-Dwelling Older Patients: A Case Study in a Portuguese Community Pharmacy

Ana Rita Paiva, Ana Isabel Plácido, Isabel Curto, Manuel Morgado, Maria Teresa Herdeiro and Fátima Roque
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Ana Rita Paiva: Health Sciences School, Polytechnic of Guarda, Rua da Cadeia, 6300-035 Guarda, Portugal
Ana Isabel Plácido: Health Sciences School, Polytechnic of Guarda, Rua da Cadeia, 6300-035 Guarda, Portugal
Isabel Curto: Pharmacy Mousaco Torrão, Estrada Municipal 506 11, R/C, 6200-571 Ferro, Portugal
Manuel Morgado: Health Sciences School, Polytechnic of Guarda, Rua da Cadeia, 6300-035 Guarda, Portugal
Maria Teresa Herdeiro: Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Aveiro (iBIMED-UA), 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Fátima Roque: Health Sciences School, Polytechnic of Guarda, Rua da Cadeia, 6300-035 Guarda, Portugal

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-9

Abstract: Background: Aging-related comorbidities predispose older adults to polypharmacy and consequently an increased risk of adverse drug reactions and poor compliance. Pharmacists’ interventions can have a beneficial impact on the improvement of clinical outcomes. Thus, this work aimed to assess the acceptance of Portuguese home-dwelling older adults regarding a pharmaceutical service paid by patients for medication management and pharmacotherapy follow-up. We also intended to analyze medication, characterize the medication consumption profile, and identify the main difficulties of our sample during their daily medication management. Methods: A questionnaire on adherence and medication therapy management was applied to polymedicated patients ?65 years old, in a community pharmacy. Results: Of the 88 participants, 92.2% would be willing to pay for a pharmacotherapy management service, and 75.6% answered that they would be willing to pay for an individual medication preparation service. In addition, 45.7% of the participants were categorized as lower adherents to a medication therapeutic regimen. Our sample reported that during their daily lives, they felt difficulty: to remember to take their pills (17%), to manage so many medicines (15.9%), and to swallow the pills (9.1%). Conclusions: Polymedicated older adults are willing to pay for a service to improve the management of their medicines, suggesting that they recognize the role of pharmacists in medication management. This study provides useful information for the conceptualization of a pharmacotherapy management service that includes medication review and a pharmacotherapy follow-up.

Keywords: community pharmacy; older adults; polypharmacy; medication adherence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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