DO GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS AND COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS WANT INFORMATION ON THE REASONS FOR DRUG-THERAPY CHANGES IMPLEMENTED BY SECONDARY CARE

Background. The content of discharge prescriptions/summaries to improv e communication about medication provided at discharge has been the su bject of recent studies. To date, the authors are not aware of any lit erature that assesses the need for primary care health professionals t o receive information on reasons for drug therapy changes incurred dur ing hospital admission. Owing to increased emphasis on seamless care, patient education, and increased accountability for drug costs, genera l practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacists may consider the recei pt of information on the reasons for drug therapy changes incurred dur ing hospital admission to be an essential requirement. Aim. To determi ne whether GPs and community pharmacists want, and receive, informatio n on the reasons for drug therapy changes implemented by secondary car e. The preferred method of acquiring this information is also investig ated. Method. A questionnaire was posted to all GPs and community phar macists within the catchment area of Glasgow Royal Infirmary Universit y NHS Trust. Data were collected between June 1995 and July 1995. Resu lts. Replies were received from 71 (64%) GPs and 33 (80%) community ph armacists. Of the respondents, 96% of GPs and 94% of community pharmac ists would like information on one or more reason types for drug thera py changes, but the majority do not receive the desired information. N inety per cent of GPs and 85% of community pharmacists seek this infor mation to facilitate continuity of patient care. The preferred method of receiving the information is by postal delivery via a modified hosp ital discharge prescription. Conclusion. The existing hospital dischar ge prescription requires modification to facilitate the completion of the reasons for drug therapy changes. The issue of patient-held cards requires consideration. These factors may facilitate continuity of pat ient care on hospital discharge.