Medication adherence in the elderly

Abstract

Medication adherence is a crucial component in the treatment of chronic diseases. In the elderly, clinicians are faced with a unique set of problems associated with adherence that they may not have been adequately trained for. In this paper, we demonstrate the importance of medication adherence in the elderly through a case study. The different factors affecting medication adherence in the elderly are highlighted: patient, medication, health care providers, health care system, and socioeconomic factors. Lastly, we have proposed various ways to address these factors. In doing so, clinicians can better understand the problems that the elderly face, thus achieving better therapeutic outcomes.