The Subjective Experience of Using Medications: What We Know and the Paths Forward

Abstract

Medications can cause bodily changes, where the associated benefits and risks are carefully assessed based on the changes experienced in the phenomenal body. For this reason, the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty is an important theoretical framework for the study of experience related to the daily use of medications. The aim of this study was to discuss the contribution of a recently developed framework of the general ways people can experience the daily use of medications—resolution, adversity, ambiguity, and irrelevance—and present reflections about the little-understood aspects of this experience. However, some issues raised throughout this article remain open and invite us to further exploration, such as (1) the coexistence of multiple ways of experiencing the use of medications, by the same individual, in a given historical time; (2) the cyclical structure of this experience; (3) the impact of habit and routine on the ways of experiencing the daily use of medications; and (4) the contribution of the concept of existential feelings to this experience and its impact on patients’ decision-making. Therefore, the experience with the daily use of medications is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that directs the decision-making process of patients, impacting health outcomes.

The Lived Experience of Patients Utilizing Second-Generation Direct-Acting Antiviral for Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Phenomenological Analysis

“…The present study demonstrated that for chronically HCV-infected patients utilizing the second-generation DAAs; this experience represented the resolution of the virus-related whole-body issues, i.e., a solution to a disturbance in the phenomenal body [29,30]. Several studies have indicated that the presence of the virus directs one's gaze to the physical body, as a contaminated body [16][17][18][19].…”

“…However, being aware of the difficulties experienced by patients is not enough to guide reflective practice [28]. It is also important to operationalize knowledge related to the experience of using medications and this application in clinical care should not be overlooked [29,30].…”

How Pharmacogenomics Informs and Influences the Medication Experience

“…5 This often involves the person adopting new routines, behaviors, or skills that are often underappreciated by healthcare providers, some of which may not fit well with the person's life and goals. [28][29][30] Thus, providers must pay attention to these aspects of a person's medication experience in light of PGx information, rather than just whether or not patients are taking their medications. A similar approach can be incorporated with adherence measures, which are most often indirect measures like pill counts, claims databases, and self-reported questionnaires, to improve both the fidelity and explanatory value of this information.…”

Occupational Experiences of Medication Management Among Adults Living With Multiple Chronic Conditions

“…The OTPF-4 defines medication management as “communicating with the physician about prescriptions, filling prescriptions at the pharmacy, interpreting medication instructions, taking medications on a routine basis, and refilling prescriptions in a timely manner” (AOTA, 2020, p. 32). It is common for adults with MCCs to face adversities in managing multiple medications (Nascimento & Ramalho-de-Oliveira, 2021), making medication management an essential and complex occupation for this population (Eriksen et al, 2020; Leland et al, 2017; Mohammed et al, 2016). Medication-related complexities are of considerable concern because they often contribute to adverse health outcomes and diminished well-being (Cheng et al, 2019; Mohammed et al, 2016).…”

“…Medication management has an emerging voice in the OT literature, where it is framed from a generic or minimally contextualized medication adherence perspective rooted in the biomedical model, focused primarily on task and routine performance and based on knowledge generated from the pharmacy literature (AOTA, 2020; Sanders & Van Oss, 2013; Seibert & Schwartz, 2017). A limitation of this perspective is the primary focus on individual responsibility and minimization of the impact of complexities such as systemic issues, burdens, and power differentials on health outcomes (James et al, 2022; Nascimento & Ramalho-de-Oliveira, 2021; Rathbone et al, 2021; Talero, 2020). These complexities can contribute to the low to moderate effectiveness of varied behavioral and educational interventions designed to improve medication-taking and adherence behaviors (Conn & Ruppar, 2017; Cross et al, 2020).…”