Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.03.1983, Page 105

23
A STUDY OF COMPLIANCE IN
ELDERLY BY PILL COUNTING
IN REYKJAVÍK
Skúli G. Johnsen, Anna Margrét Ólafsdóttir, Ólafur Ólafsson, Sigurjón Jónsson, Almar Grímsson
Available data on the actual drugconsumption by Icelanders.
is known to be rather scanty. The information is based mainly
on importfigures, or studies on the number of prescriptions
issued by doctors. Furthermore The Icelandic Heart Association
has in its surveys tried to discover the drugconsumptions
habits of survey participants. '
Studies in this area are very difficult to carry out, and
attempts to use drug cards are still in their early stages.
Methods
One of the best methods for discovering the consumption and
drug taking habits of individuals is to visit those taking
drugs and find out which drugs are to be found in their homes
and in what quantity (pill counting). At the same time one
can discover how people handle the drugs, and whether they
are aware of the need to store them securely. At the same
time one may find out, whether the individual concerned is
sufficiently aware of the need for taking the drug, i.e. why
the drugs have been prescribed.
Surveys of this kind have been attempted, and have, as mentioned
previously, been considered difficult to carry out, and for
many people these are of course sensitive matters.
For the present study the help was sought of the nursing staff
of the Reykjavík home nursing service, and for this questionnaire
was designed which the nurses filled in during their visits
to patients.
During the period from February 13th
visited a total of 116 persons cared
service and recorded the information
naire. Only one person did not wish
asked for.
to 24th, 1976, the nurses
for by the home nursing-
indicated on the question-
to provide the information
As mentioned before, one of the aims of the study was to find
out whether people had any knowledge of what kind of drug they
were taking. This part of the survey was rather unsuccessful,
which may be ascribed-to the old age of the participants.
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