MEDICATION SCHEDULE CHALLENGES AND ADHERENCE PATTERNS IN THE ABSENCE OF REMINDER SYSTEMS: A MIXED METHOD STUDY

The role of medication adherence in the effectiveness of health care is vital, but many individuals face the underlying problems of adhering to their scheduled medications when they solely rely on memory without the aid of reminders. The mixed-methods research examined the ways in which they succeed in adhering to scheduled medications, among those individuals who do not use reminders. The participants of the research were thirty (30) respondents from the Province of Bulacan, Philippines, who were chosen through the purposive sampling technique because they were on prescribed and scheduled medications. The quantitative part of the research revealed that the challenges that individuals face in adhering to scheduled medications were common, as forgetfulness, disrupted routines, stress, and a busy lifestyle were the major challenges that patients faced in abiding to scheduled medications. Thus, the part of qualitative research provided further insight into the challenges that individuals face in complying to scheduled medications, as it revealed that cognitive overload, environmental factors, and lack of preparedness were the major factors that led to non-adherence to scheduled medications, despite the fact that the individuals understood the importance of adhering to scheduled medications solely through memory without the aid of reminders. The conclusions of the research come up with the guidelines on the ways in which the challenges that individuals struggles in following to scheduled medications on time, as it suggested the importance of reminder strategies, the development of plans that can be linked to daily routines, individuals strategies, the involvement of caregivers, and further research on the role of behavior in the effectiveness of health care. The study underscores the importance of practical and accessible interventions to improve medication adherence in the absence of digital reminder systems and provides insights for healthcare providers, caregivers, and future researchers in developing patient-centered solutions.