Enhancing older people's concordance with taking their medication

It has been shown that older people are more likely than younger people to be prescribed a variety and number of medications (Lindley and Tulley, 1992). Older people are especially vulnerable to the effects of medication, particularly because of the possibility of medication mismanagement and non-concordance with prescribed medication regiment. People become increasingly sensitive to the actions of drugs with increasing age and, added to the problems of memory deterioration and physiological changes, medication-taking behaviour can alter quite dramatically (National Prescribing Centre, 2000). Reductions in the quantity of prescribed medication and the use of prescribing indicators aim to improve concordance with medication in older people. Patient education should be an inclusive component of patient care, not a concern before patient discharge. Education can take numerous forms, both written and verbal, and it needs to be patient-centred and specific to the medication being discussed. As healthcare professionals, nurses, pharmacists and medical colleagues should work collaboratively to reduce the frequency of medication mismanagement in older people.