General medical practitioners' attitudes towards the use of patient medication records

Abstract

Abstract A survey was conducted to ascertain general medical practitioners' (GPs') attitudes to community pharmacists' use of patient medication records (PMRs) and to assess whether GPs envisage a role for family health service authorities (FHSAs) in maintaining records of patients' data. The survey questionnaire was sent by post to all 1,257 GPs in contract with Avon and Devon FHSAs. A total of 811 questionnaires was returned, an overall response rate of 64.5 per cent. A majority (59 per cent) of GPs considered that community pharmacists should keep patient medication records and there was strong support for pharmacists holding PMRs for the elderly and confused, and also for patients with diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, and those patients who had experienced major adverse drug reactions or allergies. Some GPs, however, remained unconvinced of the usefulness of a pharmacy PMR. Seventy four per cent of respondents considered that patients should keep their own medication records. In contrast, only 4 per cent were in agreement with patient medication data being stored by FHSAs. The community pharmacist's role in maintaining PMRs received less support from doctors in dispensing practices than from their non-dispensing counterparts. Some 80 per cent of respondents were in favour of pharmacists providing PMR system-generated patient information leaflets with dispensed medicines. Most GPs considered that such leaflets had a positive effect on patient compliance. Recently registered GPs were found to be more supportive than their older colleagues of community pharmacists recording patients' clinical conditions and providing information leaflets.