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

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 questionnaire 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 3 months. The questionnaire was returned directly to the university. KEY FINDINGS: Two hundred and thirty-two (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 (MUR). CONCLUSION: Patients 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.