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Multicenter Study
. 2019 Dec 27;17(1):200.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17010200.

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

Daniel Gomes  1   2 , Ana Isabel Placido  1 , Rita Mó  3 , João Lindo Simões  4 , Odete Amaral  5 , Isabel Fernandes  1 , Fátima Lima  6 , Manuel Morgado  1   3   7   8 , Adolfo Figueiras  9   10 , Maria Teresa Herdeiro  11 , Fátima Roque  1   8
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

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

Daniel Gomes et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

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: daily management of medication; elderly; medication adherence; nonadherence related factors; polypharmacy; self-care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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