Increasing Safe Medication Practices in Older Adults: An Assessment of Needs and Educational Awareness

As the population ages the risk of chronic illness increases, necessitating the acceptance of a long-term medication regimen. Increasing the numbers of daily medications may result in adverse drug reactions, unsafe medication practices, and non-compliance. Non-compliance, which can result in hospitalization, loss of independence, and death, remains an issue in medical, social, and psychology literature. Understanding the variables that contribute to non-compliance, while offering older adults continuing education on safe medication practices, may be a solution. Programs that encourage older adults to diagnose their learning needs and develop the learning climate can increase the feelings of self-efficacy necessary to practice the self-care behavior of medication compliance.