Medication Adherence in a Housing First Model

Introduction: Mental illness and chronic medical conditions are prevalent among those experiencing homelessness. Medication adherence has been very poor due to a variety of barriers, one of those being housing. For those who have previously experienced homelessness, does a Housing First model have a positive impact on medication adherence? Methods: The target population was individuals on Team 1 at Pathways to Housing, PA. Medication adherence was measured through the use of blister packs, which contained 1 weeks’ worth of medication, therefore at the end of the month 4-empty blister packs should have been returned. Medication adherence, specifically for the chronic conditions the medications were prescribed to treat, were compared to a study for those without housing with the same chronic medical conditions. Results: Those who were housed (n = 13) and those who were not housed, the control group, (n = 44), were separated into adherent and not adherent for treating coronary artery disease. It was found that there was not a statistically significant difference between the two groups at this time. Conclusion: Medication adherence is a crucial aspect of ones’ health care and without taking medications to treat chronic conditions, those experiencing homelessness will have to face even more barriers. Hopefully in the future, with more data, the results will indicate that providing individuals with housing does positively impact their medication adherence as compared to those still experiencing homelessness