Problem: Medication non-adherence in community dweller adults age 65 abd older. Medications are prescribed by the healthcare providers at Clinton Primary Care Center with the expectations that they will be taken as prescribed. It is later discovered that this is not always the case. Some of the reasons as to why the medication regimen was not adhered to are because the medications are too expensive, the patient did not understand the directions, the idea that if one pill was good then two pills will improve the issue faster, the patient felt better and stop taking the medication, don’t like the taste, side effects, etc. Intervention: Telephone calls were made to all elderly patients that fit the inclusive criteria who were prescribed a new medication at Clinton Primary Care Center in Clinton, Maryland. The calls were placed to assess the patients’ understanding of their medications using the pre and post Medicine Knowledge Assessment Form questionniare and provide education. Subsequent calls were made to assess adherence with the Medication Adherence Self-Assessment Tool and to measure outcome. Comparison: Patients’ level of knowledge and understanding about the prescribed medications regime compared to score on an Adherence Self-Assessment Tool. Outcome: Increased patients’ medication adherence through education about prescribed medications. Time: 2 weeks.
