Medication Adherence Strategies for Older Adults

Abstract

Much research has examined medication non-adherence from several perspectives such as the cognitive and social predictors of adherence and the effectiveness of physician recommended strategies for medication-taking. The purpose of this study was to capture and understand the medication adherence strategies used by older adults as well as to gather the source and self-reported success of these strategies. A structured interview methodology was used and nine older adults participated. Several medication adherence methods were reported and classified into six types of strategies by three judges. The strategies were association, location, visibility, planning, retrospective reminder, and using physical changes as a cue. These strategies were self-reported as highly effective. The results also indicated that older adults are likely to generate their own strategies as opposed to receiving them from their physician or reading them from a medications label. An understanding of these strategies can be valuable when designing medication-adherence devices for older adults.