Polypharmacy and the senior citizen: the influence of direct-to-consumer advertising

Background. Polypharmacy, or taking five or more medications daily, can lead to poor medication compliance and an increased risk for adverse drug-to-drug interactions that may eventually lead to death. The study was designed to explore the questions of how age, the relationship between the physician and patient, and television, radio, magazines and modern electronic technology, such as the Internet, affect patients' understanding of their medical care. Two main areas addressed in this research study included the pharmaceutical industry's influence on consumer decisions to ask a physician for a particular medication, and the prescribing practices of the physician. Methods. This qualitative phenomenological study began with pre-screening volunteer residents in a nursing home to discover potential participants who met the criteria of using five or more medicines daily. We then interviewed 24 participants who met the criteria, using semi-structured interview questions. Results. Four core themes emerged from this study: professional trust, professional knowledge, communication deficit, and direct-to-consumer advertising. Participants reported trusting their doctors and taking medications without question, but most knew why they were taking the medications. Participants also reported seeing ads for medications, but only one reported asking a physician to prescribe the medication. Conclusions. The findings from this research study showed that consumers may be becoming wiser with modern technology at their fingertips. The consumers appear to be searching for a higher level of ownership regarding their health care and seeking more of a partnership-type of relationship with their physicians.