title: Causes of refraining from buying prescribed medications among the elderly in Kaunas, Lithuania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Accessibility to medications among the elderly is a source of concern in Lithuania and beyond. However, there are no studies carried out on this topic in Lithuania. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the causes of refraining from buying prescribed medications among the elderly in Kaunas, Lithuania.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were collected in a cross-sectional ABUEL study in 2009. A total of 624 filled-in questionnaires (response rate, 48.9%) from the elderly aged 60-84 years living in Kaunas (Lithuania) were received. For evaluation of the impact of explanatory variables on the analyzed event (binary dependent variable), an Enter model of logistic regression was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study showed that 32.7% of the respondents refrained from buying prescribed medications. The most common reasons (respondents could select several options) for this decision were financial problems (48.0%), disappearance of problems (40.7%), and fear of side effects (22.5%). Refraining from buying prescribed medications was positively associated with age (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.99). Higher education was associated with a reduced risk of refraining from buying prescribed medications due to financial problems (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.78) and an increased risk of refraining from buying medications due to the disappearance of health problems (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.68). An opposite association with worries about daily expenses was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study has revealed that one-third of the elderly refrained from buying prescribed medications, and the main reasons for this were financial problems and disappearance of health problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Social Pharmacy, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickevičiaus 9, Kaunas, Lithuania. aurimastan@gmail.com
authors.forename: Aurima
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stankūnienė
authors.forename: Raimondas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Radžiūnas
authors.forename: Mindaugas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stankūnas
authors.forename: Joaquim F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Algirdas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baranauskas
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ioannidi-Kapolou
authors.forename: Henrique
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lamura
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lindert
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torres-Gonzales
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003289:Convalescence; D005252:Fees, Pharmaceutical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs