Background An important function of a Pharmacist in nursing homes is to assess residents compliance to self-administer their medication with the aim of improving their compliance. To interview the residents and to meet the doctors are the cornerstones to improve compliance in this group of population.

Purpose To assess the compliance degree in non-dependant residents as well as pharmaceutical interventions.

Materials and methods 38 non-dependant resident treatments were reviewed (November 2009-April 2011), checking the compliance by therapeutic group. Non-dependant residents: self-administration of drugs; partially non-dependant: some drugs are administered by nursing staff. Compliance: personal interview, remaining units count. Statistical analysis: t Student, logistic regression.

Results Residents: 15 men, 23 women, mean age 84.7±7.3 (79,9±5,6 males, 88±6,8 females) Medications: drugs belonged to 27 therapeutic groups. Each resident received an average of 5.3±3.7 drugs. Relevant pharmaceutical interventions: 13. Loss of compliance: 4; recommend change to dependant status: 4; dose increase: 1; inefficacy: 1; analytical control: 1; wrong inhaler use: 1; wrong dose: 1. 13 residents (33%) became dependant, in 4, pharmaceutical intervention was determinant.

Conclusions Due to pharmaceutical interventions 10.5% of residents changed their status from non-dependant to dependant, and 27% had their treatments reviewed and modified. 76% were fully compliant, 13.5% were partially compliant and 10.5% were fully uncompliant. Antihypertensives (96%), antivaricoses and bifosfonates (100%) got the highest compliance. Tablet size, need to chew, and stomachache were related with the lowest compliance (50%) in calcium – vitamin D supplements.