Abstract

The study has aimed to investigate the Medication Knowledge (MK) in elders and identify factors that affect knowledge and the areas that are needed to be enhanced. Moreover, the perception of elders in regards to knowledge provided by healthcare professionals (HCPs) has also been studied. A cross-sectional survey has been performed, which is comprised of elders in ambulatory care settings. A questionnaire about Medication Knowledge Assessment (MKAQ) has been prepared for data collection. Illiteracy, polypharmacy, and multiple clinic follow-ups have been identified as significant factors contributing towards inadequate knowledge. The study revealed that significant number of elders are self-dependent in taking and managing their medicines despite of increased age and multiple medical problems. 73% of the elders were aware about the place to keep their medications and 82% knew about the next date of refill. However, male patients were found to be well-aware about direction of use (P = 0.04) and indications (P = 0.03). Evidence-based approaches individualized to the needs of elders, which are obligatory to be developed for advancing MK. The impact of these interventions should be studied in future on improving knowledge.

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