ABSTRACT
The study aimed to analyze the contextual conditions that influence the use of medications in elderly assisted in primary health care. Qualitative study with contribution of Grounded Theory, held in Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, where 30 elderly patients on medications were interviewed . Data were coded and a model consisting of nine categories was generated. The two categories that explain the contextual conditions of the phenomenon are, Interacting with the support network and The concurrent use of medicines, teas, home remedies and faith, but only the latter is the subject of discussion in this article. To accommodate various treatments, the elderly tried to understand and compare their functions and exercise the faith in God. The act of reconciling different treatments is part of contextual conditions that influence the phenomenon studied, creating a set of circumstances to which these seniors accounted seeking strategies to deal with drug use in daily life.
DESCRIPTORS:
Drug utilization; Phytotherapy; Aged; Primary health care
