Patients' knowledge of new medicines after discharge from hospital: What are the effects of hospital-based discharge counseling and community-based medicines use reviews (MURs)?
Interventions to reduce medicines discontinuity at transitions during and reinforced after discharge are effective. However, few studies have linked hospital-based counseling with onward referral for community pharmacy-based follow-up to support patients' medicines use.



To determine the effects of targeted hospital pharmacist counseling on discharge or targeted community pharmacy medicines reviews post-discharge on patients' knowledge of newly started medication.



The study was a controlled trial of targeted medicines discharge counseling provided by hospital pharmacists or follow-up post-discharge medicines review provided by community pharmacists compared with usual care (nurse counseling). Outcomes measured using a structured telephone survey conducted at two and four weeks after patients were discharged from hospital.



Patients who received hospital pharmacist counseling were significantly more likely to report being told the purpose of their new medicine and how to take it versus those receiving usual care. Fewer than half of the patients who were allocated to receive a community pharmacy medicines review received one.



Patient knowledge of medicines newly prescribed in the hospital was increased by targeted counseling of hospital pharmacists. The findings suggest the need to improve the consistency of the information covered when providing counseling, perhaps by the implementation of a counseling checklist for use by all disciplines of staff involved in patient counseling. The potential of community pharmacy follow-up medicines review is currently undermined by several barriers to uptake.
School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK. Electronic address: relson01@outlook.com.
Rachel
R
Elson
School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK.
Helen
H
Cook
School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK.
Alison
A
Blenkinsopp
D000368:Aged; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D017723:Drug Utilization Review / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Community pharmacy; Hospital discharge; Hospital pharmacy; Medication counseling; Medicines use reviews; Patient knowledge