Degree of Compliance with Polypharmacy and Its Influential Factors in Rural Elderly Patients with Chronic Diseases in South Korea

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study was to verify the necessity of a control program developed to improve compliance, by conducting a research on the status of medication compliance in the elderly with chronic diseases in rural area and analyzing the related variables. METHODS: The organized questionnaire and pill-count were used to collect information on personal details, physical status, drugs taken in the elderly over 65 years old suffering from more than two chronic diseases in one rural area. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 73.13+/-6.36 (65~93), and the number of the subjects in compliance group was 60 (77.9%) and the accuracy of self-report which was identified by pill-count was 0.86. Polypharmacy and visiting several clinics were the main factors that decided a low- degree of compliance, with OR of 5.92 (95% CI 1.11~31.44, P=0.037), and 4.25 (95% CI 1.03~17.53, P=0.045), respectively. CONCLUSION: Systematic efforts are necessary and plans must be established without delay to increase compliance in the elderly in the rural, expansively to manage chronic diseases in stay-at-home elders.