What do patients need to know? A study to assess patients' satisfaction with information about medicines

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to determine the information needs and reported adherence of patients prescribed medicines for chronic conditions in those who have received a community pharmacy advanced service and those who have not.Methods A questionnaire was constructed using validated tools to measure medication information satisfaction and adherence together with questions eliciting information regarding the use of pharmacy services and demographic characteristics. This questionaire was distributed from four community pharmacies to a convenience sample of 400 patients as they collected their medicines. Patients were eligible if prescribed more than one regular medicine and attending the pharmacy for longer than three months. The questionnaire was returned directly to the university.Key Findings 232 (58%) questionnaires were returned. All respondents desired further information about their prescribed medicines, particularly about potential medication problems. Dissatisfaction centred on side effects, interactions and certain medicine characteristics such as how long it will take to act. Satisfaction with information about medicines and adherence were significantly greater in a subgroup reporting that they had received an advanced pharmacy service e.g. medicine use review. ConclusionPatients who had received an advanced service reported greater adherence and satisfaction with medicine related information. This was a small, observational study, using a convenience sample of four pharmacies; in order to draw definitive conclusions, a larger study with participants randomised to receive an advanced service is required.

Applying a best-worst scaling methodology to prioritise important attributes of counselling from community pharmacy users’ perspective, Saudi Arabia

“…Our data further indicate that customers prefer to hear about their medication side effects, interactions and how to avoid drug‐related morbidity from their community pharmacists. This is consistent with previous research on patients’ information needs . Patients argue in favour of receiving information on side effects because a patient's ‘own health’ is affected by treatments, and having knowledge about the potential risks of a medication enables them to respond to any negative effects …”

“…This is consistent with previous research on patients' information needs. [26][27][28] Patients argue in favour of receiving information on side effects because a patient's 'own health' is affected by treatments, and having knowledge about the potential risks of a medication enables them to respond to any negative effects. [29] We found that the experience and attitude of the pharmacist were of importance to pharmacy users.…”

Optimal care for systemic sclerosis patients: recommendations from a patient-centered and multidisciplinary mixed-method study and working conference

“…Other studies already showed that current information provision to SSc patients is insufficient in The Netherlands [19,20]. Accessible education improves clinical parameters and therapeutic adherence [21][22][23]. Importantly, it also increases empowerment and strengthens patients' position in decision-making processes [24][25][26].…”

Pharmaceutical Services in Primary Health Care: are pharmacists and users on the same page?

“…During dispensing, the users should be guided about the use of their medicines, the importance of follow the dosage directions and information on the influence of food and beverage, interaction with other medicines and potential adverse reactions, as well as the necessary storage conditions 1 . All these information are relevant not only to the appropriate use of medicines, but also, to improve treatment adherence 39 . Our results showed that, in general, PHCPS' users, based on what they had been told by the dispenser, were not able to report, right after dispensing, information on their medicines' names, indications, on how to take them and on possible adverse reactions.…”