Prescription Counseling Necessary For Hospita...( Schommer said hosp...),Health

To help themselves before leaving the hospital, patients should make sure they know the following information about newly prescribed drugs:

• What the medications are;
  
• How to take the medication;
  
• What the medication is for;
  
• What to expect from the drug, such as side effects;
  
• What to avoid, such as sunlight or certain foods;
  
• Necessary lifestyle changes, such as diet.

The hospital in this study, Grant Medical Center in Columbus, gave patients written prescriptions. The responsibility for updating the patient's record and telling the patient how to use the drug then falls on the shoulders of the community pharmacist.

Schommer said patients should realize that their personal pharmacist may not know about the hospitalization. Even so, the dispensing pharmacist should offer information about newly prescribed drugs.

"Currently, hospital pharmacists aren't legally bound to offer information to patients," Schommer said. He added that many hospitals are increasing pharmaceutical staff by creating ambulatory care pharmacies in order to better assist patients.
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Contact: Jon Schommer
Schommer.1@osu.edu
(614) 292-3011
Ohio State University
30-Sep-1998