Patient counselling by pharmacists upon hospital discharge

Abstract

It is a known fact that a patient's compliance with instructions about his medication can be very poor (Kitching et al., 1990; Regner et al., 1987). A third of the studies done report a noncompliance rate of 50% or more (Raynor and Barber, 1989; Robinson and McKenzie, 1984). Furthermore, more than half of the patients stop the treatment when they feel better (McMahon et al., 1987; Bailie and Bennett, 1987). Noncompliance greatly decreases the therapeutic benefit of the drug, produces inestimable costs, and provides considerable frustration for the physician. It is expected that giving patients more complete instructions concerning the use of their medication would reduce the extent of noncompliance and decrease misuse of medication (Puckett et al., 1978). The aim of this project was to recommend counselling of patients by pharmacists upon discharge from St. Luke's Hospital.