title: A Study of Medication Compliance in Geriatric Patients with Chronic Illnesses at a Tertiary Care Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Geriatric population is more prone for various chronic and recurrent illnesses like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, IHD, arthritic, neurodegenerative, gastrointestinal, ocular, genitourinary, respiratory disorders etc., which may require chronic medication with multiple drugs. Poor compliance in this age group accounts for medication wastage with increased cost of healthcare and substantial worsening of the disease with disability or death. Most of the human and economic costs associated with non adherence can be avoided by improving medication adherence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the level of medication compliance in elderly patients with chronic illnesses and to analyse the factors influencing medication compliance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study subjects were assessed by using twenty item structured questionnaires as per modified Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 251 subjects of geriatric age group with chronic illnesses were assessed for the level of compliance for long term medications. The average number of medications 2.96±1.42 per subject and most of the subjects were receiving FDCs. The compliance level was assessed by way of interview using a twenty item structured pretested questionnaire as per modified MMAS. The level of compliance was good in 45.41%, moderate in 35.45% and poor in 19.12% of the study subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of compliance positively correlated with the educational status of the study subjects and their awareness about the diseases and prescribed medications. The overall level of compliance was higher in subjects living with spouse or families, subjects without any functional impairment, subjects who were regular for the follow-up visits and also in subjects who did not experience any adverse events.
authors.affiliation: Tutor, Department of Pharmacology, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences , BSK-II Stage, Bangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shruthi
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences , BSK-II Stage, Bangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jyothi
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Pharmacology, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences , BSK-II Stage, Bangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Pundarikaksha
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences , BSK-II Stage, Bangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Nagesh
authors.affiliation: Tutor, Department of Pharmacology, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences , BSK-II Stage, Bangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Tushar
keywords: Elderly; Medication adherence; Poor compliance