Medication safe intake and compliance among a group of Egyptian elderly

Abstract

Patients‟, especially older patients‟, knowledge about their medicines is generally poor. Adherence represents significant challenges especially among elderly with chronic diseases, polypharmacy, and cognitive disability. The current study was carried out among 400 Egyptian elderly aged 60 years and older divided into two groups; one of them is consisting of 200 community dwelling (geriatric outpatient clinic and geriatric club) elderly and the other one is consisting of 200 elderlies from nursing homes. This study was done to identify unsafe use of medication among a group of Egyptian elderly population and compare the adherence among the elderly in nursing homes and community dwelling. Then 50 elderlies livening in nursing homes had educational program about safe intake of medication and the results of that program were evaluated. Three tools were used in the study, Medication management instrument for deficiencies in the elderly questionnaire (MedMaIDE), Medication Assessment Questionnaire (MAQ), and Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire – Specific (BMQ-S). It was found that medication management of the elderly in the 2 groups wasn‟t different. How the elderly of community dwelling take their medications was better than that of the elderly of nursing homes, moreover getting their medications was better among elderly of nursing homes. Health education improved elderly‟s medication management in general. Medication management was correlated to elderly educational level and their income. There was no correlation