title: [Efficiency of the information given at discharge and adherence of polymedicated patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the utility of a post-discharge pharmaceutical care programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-month prospective study where patients were randomised into two groups according to whether or not they received verbal and written information about their treatment at hospital discharge. Treatment compliance was assessed by the Morisky Green test at discharge and at 30-50 days via a telephone interview, also collecting information on patient medication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 59 patients were included, 30 in the control group and 29 in the experimental group. 42.1 ± 9.6days had elapsed between discharge and the telephone interview. While a higher percentage of patients were adherent to treatment at discharge in the control group (83.3 versus 62.1%, OR=0.33, 95% CI: 0.1-1.1, P=.07), in the telephone interview the percentage in the experimental group was greater (62.5 versus 88.5%, OR=4.6, 95% CI: 1.1-19.8, P=.03). The differences between the two groups for the rest of the variables (deaths, visits to emergency department and hospital readmissions) were not statistically significant. In the telephone interview, 70% of patients' treatment was changed in some way since hospital discharge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A post-discharge pharmaceutical care programme is a tool to improve treatment compliance, which needs continuity due to the large number of treatment changes suffered by these patients.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España. javier.saezdela@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sáez de la Fuente
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Granja Berná
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lechuga Vázquez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Otero Perpiña
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herreros de Tejada López-Coterilla
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Medina Asensio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D019338:Polypharmacy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult