Cross?sectional survey of patients’ need for information and support with medicines after discharge from hospital

Background: Most patients experience changes to prescribed medicines during a hospital stay. Ensuring they understand such changes is important for preventing adverse events post-discharge and optimising patient understanding. However, little work has explored the information that patients receive about medicines or their perceived needs for information and support after discharge.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey with adult medical in-patients experiencing medicines changes in six English hospitals, with telephone follow-up 2-3 weeks post-discharge.

Conclusion: In North-West England, patient inclusion in treatment decisions could be improved, but provision of information prior to discharge is reasonable. There is scope to develop hospital and community pharmacists’ role in medicines optimisation to maximise safety and effectiveness of care.