Compliance Among Older People

Although compliance is probably not affected by old age itself, it is affected by several factors that are common among older people, such as physical or mental impairments, the use of more drugs, and an increased risk of drug-drug interactions and side effects. Taking several drugs makes remembering when to take each drug harder and increases the risk of adverse drug-drug interactions (see Section 2, Chapter 13), particularly when over-the-counter drugs are also being taken. Doctors may be able to simplify the drug regimen--by using one drug that serves two purposes or by reducing the number of times a drug must be taken--to improve compliance and to reduce the risk of interactions.

Because older people are generally more sensitive to drugs than younger people, they are more likely to have adverse drug reactions and may require a lower dose of certain drugs (see Section 2, Chapter 14).