Compliance with prescribed drugs: challenges for the elderly population.

Compliance with prescribed drug regimens is particularly important among the elderly because of their increased vulnerability and greater burden of chronic disorders. This narrative review discusses the factors that are important to compliance, with particular reference to the elderly. These factors are the patient's perceptions of his disease and it's treatment, the physician's perceptions, the manner the physician assumes and the language he uses to communicate with the patient, the patient's living situation, regular medication review, and a continuity of health care provision. Since it is the patient who decides how to use the therapy, his or her involvement in the process of explaining and understanding it is the key to improved compliance.

Development of narrow-band lamps for testing and clinical use.

A compact narrow band lamp for high intensity irradiation has been developed. It consists of a high-pressure mercury lamp, a shutter and water cooled filters for spectral isolation of the light. A mixing device permits simultaneous irradiation with two different wavelenghts by using two lamps. The spectral distribution of the light within the bands is given for seven filter combinations. The construction and calibration of a power meter is also described.

Development of high intensity narrow-band lamps and studies of the irradiation effect on human skin. Irradiation with high intensity lamps.

A compact light source has been developed. It consists of a high-pressure mercury lamp, a shutter, and water-cooled filters for selected wavelength regions. A mixing device permits simultaneous irradiation from two lamps of different wavelengths. The spectral distribution of the light for seven filter combinations and the construction of a power meter are also described. The application of the lamps to clinical investigations is illustrated by determination of minimal erythemal and blister doses, as well as pigmentation, for various groups of patients. The light intensities available are high enough to make pain threshold measurements possible in the UV and visible regions.