Non-Compliance with Drug Treatment and Reading Difficulties with Regard to Prescription Labelling among Seniors

Abstract

Background: The link between experiencing difficulties in reading or understanding and non-compliance with drug treatment among seniors is not clearly established. Objectives: We measured the effect of both difficulties in reading, as well as difficulties in understanding prescription labelling, on non-compliance with drug treatments among seniors. Since the use of a pill organizer prepared by a pharmacist may compensate for the problems in reading, we also checked the potential modifying effect of the use of a pill organizer on these two associations. Method: Data on non-compliance with drug treatment, comprehension of prescription labelling and on the factors potentially linked to non-compliance, were collected during face-to-face interviews with 325 seniors. Results: In all, 126 respondents (38.8%) were not able to read all the prescription labels and 218 (67.1%) did not fully understand all the information. 153 respondents were non-compliant with their drug treatment. After adjusting for sex, age, living alone or not, having had help with taking the medication, use of a pill organizer, having had sufficient funds to procure his medicine during the previous month, belief in the efficacy of his medication, perception of his state of health, satisfaction with physician-given and pharmacist-given information, as well as the complexity of the treatment, the two associations remained statistically non-significant. The use of a pill organizer was not a modifying factor. Conclusion: Our results did not demonstrate the existence, among seniors, of an association between non-compliance and difficulty in reading and understanding prescription labelling.