Adherence and medication instructions. Review and recommendations

J Am Geriatr Soc. 1988 Dec;36(12):1147-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1988.tb04405.x.

Abstract

Prescription medication nonadherence among the elderly is a serious medical problem. Nonadherence is primarily caused by poor communication between health professionals and elderly patients. More specifically, nonadherence often reflects the inability of patients to understand and remember their medication instructions. Therefore, adherence can be increased by designing instructions that enable elders to easily construct a clear and simple mental model of how to take their medication. Inexpensive microcomputer-based hardware and software makes it possible for pharmacists to provide elderly patients with effective instructions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Communication
  • Computer-Assisted Instruction
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Drug Labeling / standards
  • Drug Prescriptions / standards
  • Drug Therapy*
  • Humans
  • Patient Compliance*
  • Patient Education as Topic / standards