The influence of drug packaging on the drug-taking compliance of older patients living on their own

The present study is concerned with compliance and the possible influence thereon of drug packaging. Since most medications are prescribed for older persons, our target group was that of the over 70-year-olds otherwise usually excluded from participating as probands in clinical trials. Our method chose a study design that includes both the experience of a selected group of experts as well as the results of a field study. In the field study, 70 persons (18 male and 61 female), and 70-to-95 years of age participated in a face-to-face interview as well as in a test dealing with the handling of drug packaging. While the subjective patient responses provide a positive result with respect to compliance-over 80% say that they take their medications regularly-the data that were determined objectively within the framework of the test with selected medications showed deficiencies. The "medication test" carried out here shows impressively that child-proof packaging is also "age-proof" and, when used in the target group of older persons, can represent a considerable barrier to compliance.