Attitudes, perceptions, emotions and expectations can all affect whether people take their medicines as prescribed. For example, a fear of side effects or adverse reactions can prevent people from adhering to medicines. 'Saving for a rainy day' or having a previous experience of running out of medicines can prompt people to hoard, share or borrow medicines, or over order for fear of having the item removed from their repeat list.

Self-medication with OTC, complementary or herbal remedies is a common practice among older people. It's therefore important to have an effective approach to taking patient medicines histories to reduce adverse drug-drug or drug-condition interactions. Loneliness, bereavement, isolation and multiple morbidities can cause a lack of motivation to take prescribed medicines, which leads to negative health outcomes.

Studies show that the effect of loneliness has the same impact on health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Pharmacy teams can address these factors by ensuring that all discussions are truly patientcentred. It's vital to listen to the patient and reach a shared treatment plan that the patient can adhere to.