Drug Topics - April 21, 2008 - (Page 6)

6 DRUG TOPICS APRIL 21, 2008 www.drugtopics.com Of Interest to Students Promoting medication safety: A community outreach event Tegan Williams; Janelle Stiefel; Deanne Hall, Pharm.D., CDE; and Karen S. Pater, Pharm.D., BCPS, CDE A national study has found that on average only 43% of patients speak with a pharmacist prior to purchasing an over-the-counter medication. With more OTC medications being introduced onto the market every day and many drugs being switched from prescription to OTC status, it is important for pharmacists to be able to effectively educate patients about these products and the importance of reading the drug facts label, which was introduced in 2002 to help simplify the information provided to consumers. To accomplish these goals, we undertook a community outreach program recently with the help of pharmacy students. In addition, our project provided patients with information regarding medication therapy management (MTM) available at their pharmacy and the opportunity to have their blood pressure monitored. This project also intended to make patients aware that pharmacists are able to help them choose appropriate OTC medications. Comparison of national survey with local pharmacy results 50 45 Percentage of patients 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Never read OTC label National results Always read OTC label Local results OTCs discussed with R.Ph. Prior to the program, each student was given a preparation packet, which described the objectives of the project, as well as a copy of all brochures, information about OTC medications, and tips for checking blood pressure. The students reviewed this information and practiced taking blood pressure prior to the sessions. The location of this project was the waiting area of a large hospital outpatient pharmacy, which fills an average of 800 prescriptions per day. During two consecutive Thursday afternoons, pharmacy students actively engaged patients at the pharmacy to help them learn about OTC medications. Student pharmacists staffed the table with a pharmacist for each session. The primary educational instrument was a large poster of the New Drug Facts Label, which the students used as a teaching tool for patients. Each patient was also given a copy of the New Drug Facts Label that showed where to look for the active ingredients of the medications, as well as dose, side effects, intended population for use, and other information. A number of brochures were available containing information about OTC medications, the pharmacy’s MTM program, and blood pressure/medication cards. After visiting the table, patients were invited to complete a survey. This survey assessed the number of medications (both prescription and OTC) the patients used and their knowledge and use of OTC medications, including how often they read the OTC label prior to taking OTC medications, whether they discussed the use of OTCs with their physician or pharmacist prior to taking them, and how likely they would be to discuss OTC use with their physician or pharmacist after participating in the program. A total of 73 patients stopped by the education table during the scheduled sessions. The patients ranged in age from 18 to 81. Twenty patients expressed interest in learning more about the New Drug Facts Label and were instructed on how to read them. Blood pressure screenings were performed on 55 people; an additional 18 patients did not have their blood pressure checked, but were interested in receiving educational materials. Of the 73 participants, 40 patients agreed to complete the survey. Some 33 patients (82.5%) surveyed reported taking at least one medication on a daily basis, with the total number of medications (both http://www.drugtopics.com

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Drug Topics - April 21, 2008 Contents The 20 Drug Firms Par Excellence in 2007 Treating Kids with Cough and Cold: Filling the Void Promoting Medication Safety: A Community Outreach Event Scholarship Helps Students Get Into Pharmacy New Products Latest News Roundup

Drug Topics - April 21, 2008

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