John Wiley & Sons : Follow-up Phone Calls by Pharmacists Help Patients after Hospital Discharge

A new British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology study illustrates the benefits of having clinical pharmacists follow up, by telephone, with patients at risk of having medication-related issues after hospital discharge. The aim is to help patients manage their medications effectively.

In the study, patients who received such pharmacist-led, post-discharge telephone follow-up were matched with patients in a control group. All patients in the study had been prescribed multiple medicines for the management of their medical conditions.

The intervention reduced 30- and 90-day hospital readmission rates by 9.9 percent and 15.2 percent, respectively, compared with controls. The intervention also had positive effects on time to hospital readmission, length of hospital stay upon readmission, healthcare costs, patient beliefs about medicines, patient adherence to their medications, and patient satisfaction.

'Many patients have difficulty in managing their medicines after discharge from hospital. Telephone follow-up allowed clinical pharmacists to give tailored support to patients according to their individual needs,' said senior author Prof. James McElnay, of Queen's University Belfast, in the UK. 'This simple intervention had very positive outcomes and was welcomed by patients. We are working to introduce this new approach into routine practice across the hospital service.'

Additional Information

Link to Study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bcp.13839

About Journal

Published on behalf of the British Pharmacological Society, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology contains papers and reports on all aspects of drug action in humans: review articles, mini review articles, original papers, commentaries, editorials and letters. The Journal enjoys a wide readership, bridging the gap between the medical profession, clinical research and the pharmaceutical industry. It also publishes research on new methods, new drugs and new approaches to treatment. The journal is recognised as one of the leading publications in its field. It is online only, publishes open access research through its OnlineOpen programme and is published monthly.

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