Pharmacy-The Last Contact in the Recovery Process: A Discharge Medication Service

Abstract

Patient compliance is an essential element in the recovery process whether it is postsurgical care or disease management. It has been shown that the more knowledgeable a patient is about his therapy, the more likely he is to be compliant with that therapy. The Pharmacy Department at Portsmouth Naval Hospital undertook a program to try to increase the patients' knowledge of their drug regimens and enhance their perception of pharmacy's role in health care. In today's age of consumerism, both of these were considered desirable goals. This was accomplished by establishing a service whereby the pharmacy picked up prescriptions from the nursing unit and filled them in the outpatient pharmacy prior to the patient's arrival at the pharmacy. The medications were discussed with the patient in a quiet setting, prior to their leaving the hospital. This is a US government work. There are no restrictions of its use.