title: Medication adherence and knowledge of older patients with and without multidose drug dispensing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  we compared the self-reported medication adherence and knowledge of older patients receiving their drugs via multidose drug dispensing (MDD users) with patients receiving manually dispensed drugs (non-MDD users).
  
  
  METHODS
  MDD users (≥ 65 years, ≥ 5 oral chronic drugs) were randomly selected from eight Dutch community pharmacies. Non-MDD users (≥ 5 oral chronic drugs) were matched on age and gender. Medication adherence was assessed by using the Medication Adherence Reporting Scale (MARS) and medication knowledge by asking the indication of drugs. Cognitive function was measured with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for a sub selection of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the percentage of patients being adherent to all drugs was higher for MDD users (n = 119, 81%) compared with non-MDD users (n = 96, 58%, P < 0.001).The percentage of patients with adequate knowledge was lower for MDD users (40%) compared with non-MDD users (79%, P < 0.001). The differences in adherence were independent of knowledge and MMSE scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  this study shows that older patients receiving their drugs via MDD reported a higher medication adherence compared with patients receiving manually dispensed drugs, despite a lower knowledge and lower cognitive function among patients receiving MDD.
authors.affiliation: SIR Institute for Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Theda Mansholstraat 5b, Leiden 2331JE, Netherlands. h.f.kwint@uu.nl
authors.forename: Henk-Frans
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Kwint
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stolk
authors.forename: Adrianne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Jacobijn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gussekloo
authors.forename: Marcel L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bouvy
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology*; D008509:Medication Systems; D009426:Netherlands; D019338:Polypharmacy; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report
keywords: adherence; adherence aids; medication knowledge; multidose drug dispensing; older people