Prescription medication practices of the elderly.

The prescription medication practices of 30 subjects, 65 years or older, were surveyed and compared to the actual physician's instructions indicated on the prescription label. The study identified reasons for errors in administration and compliance or noncompliance with the prescribed regimen. The subjects were interviewed with a questionnaire developed by the author. The study revealed that more errors were made by subjects who were 65 to 69 years old, Protestant, and female. The error-prone individuals also lived alone and had less than 12 grades of education. Teaching about medications is typically a nursing or pharmacy function; a professional nurse or pharmacist could be employed to present instructional sessions periodically.