“Don’t forget to take your medicine!” Improving the use of medicine by elderly patients in the region of Madrid

Outcomes

During more than six years of running this programme the personal outcomes of many patients have been improved significantly, as highlighted by the following reports from the pharmacists participating in the programme.

Patient 1 – an 82 year old woman ...

...took medication in an erratic way until she joined the programme. Her therapy has improved and her condition is more controlled. In particular, she reports less pain and is more stable, showing much lower levels of stress.

Patient 2 – an 82 year old woman ...

...chronic skin condition of her hands, arterial hypertension (HTA), diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, hipercolesterolemia, Alzheimer's. All in all, a very frail person with difficulties in following her treatment plan. Since she took part in the programme, she has been better able to control her skin condition, her glycemia levels are stable and her hypertension now has normal values. She now also gets a calcium treatment which she did not have before. The programme has not only improved her health but also her quality of life.

Patient 3 - an 88 year old man ...

...Alzheimer's and other conditions related to his age. Since his inclusión  in the programme, pharmacists have prepared his medication dosage system on a weekly basis and reduced errors in both dosage and the time of the day when he took the medication, etc.