Acceptability of intervention materials to decrease risk for alcohol and medication interactions among older adults.

BACKGROUND: The majority of older adults take prescription or over-the-counter medications and about half consume alcohol regularly. Despite high risk for alcohol medication interactions (AMI), few community-level interventions exist to prevent AMI. The current study assessed the acceptability of educational materials created for use in a brief intervention to prevent AMI among older adults.

METHODS: Older adults from two senior centers reviewed intervention materials (poster, patient and pharmacist brochures, and public service announcement) and participated in a pre and post-test to provide feedback and to assess changes in AMI-related awareness and intentions.

RESULTS: Post-test data showed positive feedback and an increase in participant understanding of AMI prevention, with statistically significant changes in perceived importance of messaging surrounding risky alcohol use and potential consequences of AMI.

DISCUSSION: The intervention materials were positively received, and participant feedback indicated that the collective presentation of all the materials was the most preferred tool for educating the community. With positive trends in awareness and knowledge, intervention effectiveness needs to be further evaluated in future large-scale studies.

LESSONS LEARNED: This study provides health education specialists with tools to prevent alcohol and medication interactions among older adults.