Imagine you go to the grocery store and return home with bags of food. Where do you put them? Generally, food goes in the refrigerator or kitchen cabinets. Now, imagine you go to the mall and return home with new clothes. Where do you put them? Generally, clothing goes in your closet or dresser. Finally, imagine you go to the doctor and are prescribed your first prescription. You pick it up at the pharmacy, go home, and need to put it someplace. Most homes are built with a medicine cabinet in the bathroom, the name suggesting a location for storing medication. Yet medicine cabinets are neither the most common location to store medications nor the optimal location.
Where to store medications is not just a matter of convenience; it can significantly impact health outcomes. Failing to take medications as prescribed is a widespread issue that can lead to poorer health and increased healthcare costs. This concern is particularly relevant for older adults, who often take multiple medications daily. Therefore, identifying the right storage solutions is essential for ensuring adherence to prescribed regimens and maintaining overall well-being.
As people age, managing medications becomes more complex, with the number of prescriptions and the challenges of staying organized often increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 90% of adults ages 65 and older take prescription medications. Given the prevalence of medication use among older adults, it is important to understand whether the location of medication storage affects adherence.
The Survey Study: Key Findings on Medication Storage and Adherence
To explore how individuals store their medications and whether these storage locations affect adherence, we conducted a survey of 1,673 participants. Our primary objectives were to determine which storage locations people use and to learn if any of those locations were associated with adherence. For this study, adherence was defined as taking all prescribed medications as directed over the past two weeks.
With interventions like improved medication storage and the integration of digital tools, we can better help older adults manage their health and age in place.
The survey revealed significant insights into medication storage habits and their impact on adherence. The most common locations for storing medications were nightstand drawers (28%) and nightstand surfaces (27%), followed by kitchen cabinets (22%) and bathroom medicine cabinets (20%). Notably, the results indicated that storage location can significantly influence medication adherence. Medications stored on or in nightstands were associated with higher adherence rates, a finding that is particularly important for older adults who manage multiple prescriptions and face greater risks from non-adherence.
Why Nightstands Matter
Nightstands serve as an ideal location for storing medications for several reasons. They provide convenience for both morning and evening routines, allowing easy access to medications when they are most needed. Additionally, nightstands ensure that medications remain discreetly stored yet readily accessible. Our study found that respondents who used nightstands for medication storage were less likely to report missing doses, underscoring their effectiveness in supporting adherence.
Recent innovations in nightstand design, such as built-in phone chargers, have enhanced their functionality while reducing clutter. However, there is untapped potential for further advancements by incorporating storage solutions specifically designed for medications. We have explored the concept of placing sensors on nightstands to indicate whether medications have been taken or missed. These sensors could be integrated with daily-use objects, such as a coffee maker. For instance, when the coffee maker is activated in the morning, a subtle notification could remind the user to take their medication. For older adults with established morning routines, such reminders could significantly enhance adherence without adding cognitive burden. Similarly, brushing teeth is a daily habit performed both morning and night. By placing a small sensor on the toothbrush holder, a reminder to take evening medication could be triggered when the toothbrush is picked up. This simple integration would help ensure that medication is taken at the appropriate time, reinforcing adherence through familiar actions.
Beyond Nightstands: The Challenge of Other Storage Locations
While nightstands emerged as the most adherence-friendly storage locations, other areas presented more challenges. For example, medications stored in kitchen cabinets were associated with higher rates of non-adherence. Additionally, storing medications in bathrooms, where humidity levels can be elevated, may degrade the effectiveness of certain prescriptions. In a separate interview study, we discovered that some individuals devised creative storage solutions. One participant kept her medications next to the microwave, while another created a “staging area” between the kitchen and dining room, placing medications where they could be easily seen and remembered immediately after meals. While these personalized strategies can be helpful, they are often developed through trial and error, with little guidance from healthcare providers.
Next Steps: Guidance and Technological Support
There is a clear opportunity to improve adherence by focusing on storage locations. Our survey found that 96% of respondents would welcome guidance from their physician or pharmacist regarding the best practices for storing medications. Healthcare providers should take advantage of this opportunity to offer personalized recommendations based on each patient’s physical and cognitive abilities, as well as the specific storage requirements of their medications. Moreover, there is significant potential for technological solutions. Integrating these tools into daily activities—such as brushing teeth or making coffee—can provide gentle, timely reminders without disrupting the flow of daily life. Smart sensors or dispensers linked to household objects could offer subtle prompts, encouraging older adults to stay on track with their medications.
Conclusion
As the population ages, it is increasingly important to consider how older adults manage their medications at home. Our survey study has demonstrated that the storage locations of medications can directly impact adherence, a finding that is particularly relevant for older adults managing complex regimens. By focusing on effective storage solutions—such as using nightstands—and providing personalized guidance from healthcare providers, we can help older adults maintain their routines and improve their health. With simple interventions like improved storage design and the integration of digital tools, we have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of older adults as they strive to manage their health and age in place.
The study, "The Impact of Home Medication Management Practices on Medication Adherence," is available at https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/9/804.
Lisa Gualtieri, ScM, PhD, is an associate professor in Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and teaches at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and in the Master of Science in Health Systems at Cedars-Sinai. Jeffry Glenning is an associate director at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He is completing his Master of Science in Health Systems at Cedars-Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Photo credit: Shutterstock/JLco Julia Amaral
