Patient compliance with drug storage recommendations

Background: Elderly patients are often treated with many different drugs which can result in difficulties with adequate drug management and safe storage at home. Objectives: We aim to investigate to what extent elderly patients store drugs according to the drug product storage recommendations. Methods: Patients (≥65 years of age) were invited to participate and visited at home by their community pharmacist when consenting. Drugs were considered properly stored when all of the following criteria were fulfilled: 1) storage according to drug product label storage recommendations for temperature, light, humidity; 2) expiry date not passed; 3) in the original and intact package; 4) drug product insert or information leaflet present. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the associations between non-compliance with storage conditions, number of drugs stored at home and storage locations. Results: 170 patients (53.5% female, mean age 74.9 [SD 7.3]) were included in the study. Patients' compliance with drug storage criteria could be assessed in 160 (94.1%) patients and 36.9% complied with all storage criteria [compliance with criterion 1) 64.4%; 2) 82.5%; 3) 83.8%; 4) 69.4%]. Non-compliance with one or more storage criteria was associated with having multiple drugs [≥10 drugs (ORadj) = 9.0; 95% CI:(2.6, 30.7)] and having three or more storage locations at home [(ORadj) = 4.4; 95% CI:(1.2, 16.0)]. Conclusions: Elderly patients using multiple drugs and having multiple storage locations do often not store drugs according to storage recommendations and could use advice from pharmacists to store drugs at home more adequately.