Ashraf Mehdinia - Department of Geriatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Student Research Committee, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
Marzieh Loripoor - Department of Reproductive Health and Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Geriatric Care Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
Mahlagha Dehghan - Department of Critical Care Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery School, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Shahin Heidari - Department of Fundamental Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Geriatric Care Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran

Background: Poor medication adherence may cause unfortunate consequences such as disease progression and even death, particularly in older adults. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pillbox use on medication adherence among older adults with cardiovascular diseases. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a two-group randomized controlled trial in a clinic in Kerman, Iran in ۲۰۱۷. Participants included seventy patients who were randomly allocated to either a control or an intervention group. The patients in the intervention group were verbally educated to manage their medications using a pillbox for four consecutive weeks while their counterparts received their medications without the use of any drug reminders. Results: The mean score of all participants’ medication adherence was ۴.۰۲ ± ۲.۱۹ at the beginning of the study. Medication adherence significantly improved in the intervention group during the study (P < ۰.۰۰۱) while it remained poor in the control group (P > ۰.۹۹). Finally, medication adherence was significantly better in the intervention group compared to the control group at the end of the study (P = ۰.۰۰۱). Conclusion: In general, pillbox use can promote medication adherence in older adults with cardiovascular diseases thus it is recommended for improving medication adherence and minimizing the consequences of non-adherence.

Cardiovascular disease, Medication adherence, Elderly, Pillbox