Medication compliance devices in primary care: activities of community-based nurses

Abstract

Abstract Objective To investigate the workload, training and views of community-based nurses in relation to medication compliance devices. Method Postal questionnaires distributed to all nurse team leaders (n=57) and community-based nurses (n=327) in the Grampian region of Scotland. Setting Primary care. Key findings Responses were received from 32 team leaders (56 per cent) and 153 nurses (47 per cent). Ninety-six nurses (63 per cent) filled a total of 212 medication compliance devices per week for patients under their care — an activity which accounted for an estimated total of 121 hours per week (mean of 1.25 hours per nurse per week, range 0.5 to 7 hours) and for which they had received no formal training. One hundred devices (47 per cent) were filled to enable carers to administer medicines. Team leaders reported several areas of concern which had been raised by their staff, particularly relating to responsibility and accountability under professional body guidelines. Conclusion Many community-based nurses fill medication compliance devices, an activity which clearly causes much concern. There is an urgent need to develop and evaluate multidisciplinary models of care based around the needs of individual patients requiring medication compliance devices.