title: Impact of postal and telephone reminders on pick-up rates of unclaimed e-prescriptions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of a reminder (i.e., a mailed letter or short telephone call) from the pharmacy to patients, compared with no reminder in a control group, on the pick-up rates of unclaimed e-prescriptions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients, with e-prescriptions transmitted to four large community pharmacies in two counties in northern Sweden and remaining unclaimed after 4 weekdays, were randomised to one of two intervention groups (a mailed reminder or a short telephonic reminder) or a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rates of patients' pick-up of their e-prescriptions at follow-up after about 1, 2 and 3 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether, 320 patients with e-prescriptions, transmitted from March 21 through April 6 and not picked-up or dispensed, were identified and randomised to the study. There were no statistically significant differences in overall pick-up rates between the groups or with respect to gender. However, pick-up rates increased with increasing age. Higher pick-up rates were observed for two subgroups (but only in the mailed reminder group compared with controls)--for cardiovascular drugs to men and for respiratory drugs to adolescents and young adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A reminder (i.e., a mailed letter or short telephone call) from the pharmacy to the patient had no statistically significant effect on overall pick-up rates of unclaimed e-prescriptions compared with no reminders.
authors.affiliation: R&D Department, National Corporation of Swedish Pharmacies (Apoteket AB), Apoteket Lejonet; Stortorget 8, 211 34, Malmo, Sweden. anders.ekedahl@apoteket.se
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ekedahl
authors.forename: Vivianne
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Oskarsson
authors.forename: Barbro
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sundberg
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gullberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055695:Electronic Prescribing; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011177:Postal Service; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D017010:Reminder Systems; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden; D013689:Telephone; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs