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Engaging patients to access the community pharmacy medicine review service after discharge from hospital: a cross-sectional study in England

Lam, Michelle Yu Yin, Dodds, Linda J., Corlett, Sarah (2019) Engaging patients to access the community pharmacy medicine review service after discharge from hospital: a cross-sectional study in England. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, . ISSN 2210-7703. (doi:10.1007/s11096-019-00838-y) (KAR id:74389)

Abstract

Background The post-discharge Medicines-Use-Review (dMUR) is a commissioned service in England and Wales whereby community pharmacists facilitate patients’ understanding of their medicines and resolve any medicine-related problems. This service is poorly utilised. Objective To explore the impact of raising hospital patients’ awareness of dMURs on their uptake. Setting Hospital in South East England. Method Patients on medical wards with at least one change (medicine, or dose regimen) to their admission medicines were provided with standardized written and verbal information about the service. Participants were responsible for their own medicines and anticipated that they would be discharged home. Structured telephone interviews conducted 4 weeks after discharge explored any medicine-related issues experienced, and reasons for engaging, or not, with the dMUR service. Responses to closed questions were analysed using descriptive statistics. Responses to open questions were analysed thematically. Ethics approval was obtained. Main outcome measure Proportion of patients who received a dMUR and their motivations or barriers to accessing the service. Results Hundred patients were recruited and 84 interviewed. Their mean (SD) age was 73 (11) years. They were taking a median (range) of 9 (2–19) medicines. 67% (56/84) remembered receiving information about dMURs. Nine (11%) had attempted to make an appointment although four had not received the service because the pharmacist was unavailable. Most (88%) were not planning to access the service. The most common reason given was poor morbidity or mobility (13/31, 42%). Conclusion The use of written and verbal information to encourage patients to use the dMUR service had minimal impact.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1007/s11096-019-00838-y
Uncontrolled keywords: Community pharmacists, England and Wales, Hospital discharge, Hospital pharmacy service, Medication counselling, Medicine use reviews, Pharmacy services
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Medway School of Pharmacy
Depositing User: Sarah Corlett
Date Deposited: 13 Jun 2019 11:47 UTC
Last Modified: 28 Jul 2022 22:10 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/74389 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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