Browsing by Subject "medication card"

Pharmaceutical services refer to services in community pharmacies which are based on knowledge and skills of the pharmaceutical personnel. Pharmaceutical services can be divided into basic and special services. Pharmaceutical basic services relate to community pharmacy's legislative functions, while pharmaceutical special services try more proactively contribute to consumers' health.. Automated dose dispensing is pharmaceutical special service. Dose dispensing means that the patient's medication are packed in disposable bags corresponding to the dose that he or she needs to take during the course of one day. When a new patient starts to use the automated dose dispensing service, his medication is reviewed to assure there would not be severe interactions or unnecessary drugs The drugs suitability to the service and the timing of the medication is noted when the service is started. Automated dose dispensing service produces a medication list of customer's medication. The survey studied the level of the checks made to patient's medication and how can the medication history be explaned. In the survey were also interested in the level of review that was done to patient's medication. Information of patient's medication was also collected with a questionnaire. Background information showed how well the results of the survey can be generalized to pharmacies offering services and customers using the service. The questionnaire was sent to all pharmacies that ordered automated dose dispensing as contract manufacturing from Espoonlahti Pharmacy in September 2010. In the semi structured questionnaire was multiple choice and open-ended questions. Response rate in this study was 45. Background information showed that questionnaires were returned from pharmacies all around the Finland and all sizes of pharmacies. Mostly the patients starting the automated dose dispensing service are aged, homecare patients, nursing home residents or service home residents. Medication cards are used in collecting the information of patient's medication, but information to the medication card can be updated from other sources too. Medication review to patient's medication is made usually in multi-professional cooperation. Changes made to patient's medication are mainly caused by generic substitutions, selection of the dispensing machine or avoidance to halving. Medications have only few interactions that lead into discontinuing use of some medicine. Checking the medication has only little effect on the amount of drugs used by the patient. New patients starting the automated dose dispensing service have on the average 11 medicines in use, from which 7 medicines are taken to automated dose dispensing. The most widely used ATC groups are cardiovascular and nervous system medicines. Each new patient uses an average of three preparations in both groups before and after the initiation of automated dose dispensing service.