Community Medication Education, Data, & Safety (C-MEDS): Findings from a Pilot Project

Objectives: Medication-related problems remain one of the largest health risks for older adults, yet there are few resources available to effectively reduce medication-related problems for community dwelling older adults. The aim of this pilot program was to determine the effectiveness of a multifaceted medication intervention on medication adherence and self-efficacy in medication use.

Design: A single sample, pre-post-test design.

Setting: This pilot study was conducted at Independence at Home, a Senior Care Action Network (SCAN) community service in Southern California.

Participants: One hundred and eighty community-dwelling, diverse older adults with potential medication-related problems and their caregivers.

Intervention: The Community Medication Education, Data, & Safety (C-MEDS) Program identified community-dwelling older adults with potential medication-related problems and provided in-depth personalized medication safety, management and support, based on an in-home assessment and interventions delivered by trained geriatrics experts including pharmacists, nurses, a community health worker, and a pharmacy technician.

Measurements: The primary outcomes included medication use self-efficacy, measured by the MUSE, and select medication adherence measures. Adherence was measured via pill count and via the MedAdhIR tool, a scale that measures risk for medication non-adherence.

Results: Following participation in the C-MEDS program, community-dwelling older adult C-MEDS graduates (n = 105) had higher self-efficacy in managing medications (P < .001). Additionally, C-MEDS graduates also exhibited increased adherence to three types of medications (statins, diabetes-related, and certain hypertension drugs; P < .001). Moreover, risk of non-adherence declined significantly following C-MEDS graduation (P < .001).

Conclusion: C-MEDS holds promise as an effective intervention among community-dwelling older adults in improving medication self-efficacy, medication adherence among select medications, and reducing risk for non-adherence. Additional studies are needed to assess replicability and impact on clinical outcomes.