Multi-Disciplinary Investigational Intervention on Reducing Polypharmacy and Enchancing Adherence to Drug Regimens Among Elderly African Americans

Excessive and unnecessary use of prescription and over-the-counter medications (polypharmacy) is a major problem and challenge that contributes to increased costs, adverse drug events, poor adherence, inappropriate prescribing, hospitalization, and mortality in the elderly. The study is an outreach program that examines the effects of an educational intervention on reducing excessive and unnecessary use of prescription and over-the-counter medication. The program is aimed at enhancing adherence to drug regimens among low income elderly African Americans with multiple chronic conditions residing in South Central Los Angeles. The specific objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of "an intervention," which includes collaborating with a network of faith based churches under the leadership of the pastor to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to participate; proving study participants with opportunities to periodically meet with trained counselors who will review and educate on medication information; reducing concurrent use of duplicate drugs in doses or frequencies greater than necessary or drug therapy that is not essential for treating or managing a medical problem; and increasing the adherence to physician recommended drug regimens, and increasing the involvement of underserved aged African Americans as informed and active partners in their health care, by improving knowledge of their medications and facilitating better communication with their health care providers. The major objective is twofold: to ultimately reduce the number of emergency hospitalization admissions associated with polypharmacy and non-adherence to medications and to facilitate better communication between patients and their health care providers.