Prescription Drug Compliance Among Homeless

¶ … Health care [...] prescription compliance among the homeless. Health care for the homeless is perhaps one of the biggest challenges for the healthcare professional. The homeless in America face many problems, and healthcare is only one of them. It is difficult for most homeless people to fill and use prescription drugs for health problems for a number of reasons, from cost to the ability to self-administer drugs they may not understand or want. The problems of homeless noncompliance with prescription medications must be addressed to avoid a crisis in homeless health care.

Most homeless people do not have health care coverage, and so even basic prescription medications for health problems may be out of their reach. If they do attempt to receive health care at all it is usually through a county facility such as a clinic or a free clinic. If their conditions require prescription drugs, often they cannot afford to fill the prescriptions. If they do fill the prescriptions, they may forget to take them, or have difficulties understanding when to take them. One study indicated that nearly a third of homeless people surveyed did not take medication that was prescribed for them. The study said, "29.7% were currently taking medication for a health problem. Another 27.6% admitted to not taking a medication that was prescribed. Unfilled prescriptions ranged from antihypertensives and tuberculosis medications to analgesics and anti-inflammatory treatments" (Clarke, Williams & Percy, 1995, p. 108). Many people believe that most homeless people have mental health problems, but recent surveys indicate this is not the case. Many homeless people are homeless as a result of domestic violence, unemployment, drug addiction, poverty, or lack of affordable housing (Editors, 2004). Thus, many of these people may require ongoing medications that they simply cannot afford or obtain.

In addition to the cost of prescriptions, there are other factors that figure into noncompliance in prescription use by the homeless. Some homeless people are depressed and unhappy with their lives, and so, they see no reason to prolong them with prescription drugs. A homeless expert notes, "It is difficult for a homeless person to value the goal of treatment when there is little attachment to the vague tomorrow, which may be seen as another day of desperation, a struggle not worth the effort (Boucher, 1995, p. 56). Thus, health care professionals may have to fight with depression and attitude as well as affordability and understanding when dealing with prescription drugs and the homeless population. Compliance with the prescription is important in any health care setting, but in the homeless population, it is even more important because the homeless face more health concerns through their lifestyle. Another study indicates, "compliance was impeded by, in order of importance, no privacy, no area to store medications, medication stolen, medication lost, and difficulty in getting medications" (Boucher, 1995, p. 57). There are a variety of issues at work in complying or not complying with medication needs in the homeless population, and these issues need to be faced and eliminated so the homeless population can enjoy better health and a better lifestyle.