title: A self-medication scheme in a post-coronary care unit.
abstract: The drug knowledge of 107 patients was determined before and after entering a self-medication scheme on the post-coronary care unit (PCCU) at City Hospital, Birmingham, and approximately 6 weeks post-discharge when these patients attended their cardiac rehabilitation classes. Fifty-two completed questionnaires were returned. The results indicated a general increase in patients knowledge about the names and side-effects of their drugs, the times at which they take them and the reasons for taking them, following self-medication. A smaller number of questionnaires (19) were completed 6 weeks after discharge. The responses to these suggested that patients who self-medicated in hospital showed greater drug knowledge, especially with regard to potential side-effects, than those who had not. Patients' confidence in their ability to self-medicate safely at home showed no relation to their actual knowledge. It is suggested that self-medication on the PCCU is an important part of the cardiac rehabilitation programme.
authors.affiliation: Coronary Care Unit Post/Coronary Care Unit, City Hospital NHS Trust, Birmingham.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noy
mesh_terms: D003325:Coronary Care Units; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012646:Self Administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires