title: Patients' knowledge concerning their medications on discharge from hospital.
abstract: Fifty patients were interviewed, on discharge from hospital, about their medications. Nine (18%) patients did not know, and a further four (8%) had inappropriate beliefs about why they were taking at least one of their discharge medications. Very few patients knew of significant side-effects which they might expect, or precautions which they should take, and over half did not know how long they were to continue taking their medicines. A small proportion was unable to read the bottle or open the container. Thus, even patients who, by virtue of an in-patient stay, have had a prolonged opportunity for education regarding their medicines have very little knowledge of their medicines upon discharge from hospital.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, General Infirmary, Leeds, U.K.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pullar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roach
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Mellor
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McNeece
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Judd
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feely
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cooke
mesh_terms: D004358:Drug Therapy; D006801:Humans; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic