Evaluation of Geriatric Medication Adherence using the General Medication Adherence Scale in a Primary Care Setting

Introduction: Medication non-adherence is a significant problem, especially among geriatric patients. The General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS) is a validated tool to assess patients’ behaviour, pill burden, comorbidity, and cost. Although this tool has been tested among patients with chronic illness, less is known about the usage of GMAS in assessing adherence among geriatric patients. Aim: This study aimed to assess the level of Medication adherence and determine the factors influencing medication adherence among geriatric patients in a primary health clinic in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 250 geriatric patients on follow-up in a public primary health clinic. Adherence was measured using the GMAS, a validated 11-item structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. Results: Half of the respondents had a high adherence while one-quarter (26.8%) showed good adherence. Female patients were more likely to adhere to their medication regime. Most of the patients had at least three illnesses and needed an average of five medicines (25.2%). Good internal consistency of the GMAS (α =0.741) was reported. Conclusion: The medication adherence rate was good among primary care geriatric patients compared to other populations in Malaysia. To promote better adherence, patients must have a good understanding of their disease and strong beliefs about the medications prescribed.