What Do Seniors Believe About Medication Adherence? A Qualitative Study Among Seniors with Chronic Conditions in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

PURPOSE: This qualitative study elicited beliefs about medication adherence among hypertensive seniors with polypharmacy. METHODS: Twenty-one participants aged 60 or older with hypertension and other chronic conditions, with or without their family caregivers, residing surrounding Yogyakarta province, using five medicines or more routinely, were semi-structuredly interviewed by one researcher or one research assistant in January to April 2022. Behavioral, normative, and control beliefs were elicited using an interview guideline which was developed based on the Theory of Planned Behavior approach. Thematic analysis was applied. RESULTS: The participants believed that taking medicines routinely was advantageous because the medicines kept their body in good condition and prevented disease worsening. However, there were concerns about the medications’ harmful effects on kidneys, gastric, and the whole body, and that the medicines would not be effective anymore. Prescribers, family, and friends would likely approve of medication adherence. However, non-prescriber doctors, family, and neighbors, mainly those with experience with complementary/alternative medicines, would likely disapprove of medication adherence. Good physical and cognitive function, help from family and technology, mealtime regularity, a simple regimen and easy-to-read medication labeling, and good communication with prescribers were among the facilitators of medication adherence. Physical and cognitive decline, mealtime irregularity, tablets that must be cut before taken, insurance that does not cover all medicines, change in dosage regimen, and hard-to-tear-off medication packaging were among the barriers to medication adherence. CONCLUSION: Understanding these beliefs yields insights into the health communication approaches to improving seniors’ medication adherence.