Lack of prescription adherence after discharge from the inpatient hospital setting is a known barrier to the delivery of optimal patient care. Non-adherence to medication for cardiac diseases can lead to substantial morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Electronic delivery of prescriptions by fax has been identified as a method of improving patient satisfaction and reducing pharmacy wait times among emergency department patients, however its impact among patients discharged from the cardiac inpatient setting is unclear. The study was completed in the Cardiology inpatient ward at University Hospital in London, Ontario, Canada and was classified as a quality improvement investigation based on the requirements listed in the Tri-Council Policy Statement (Article 1.1). “Delayed prescription retrieval” was defined as the retrieval of a prescribed medication by a patient from their local pharmacy after the documented calendar day of discharge. The current discharge process on the cardiology wards was assessed and a process map was created. An initial monitoring period of study participants was completed to determine the baseline delayed prescription retrieval rate (pre-intervention group). A formalized discharge process which included electronic delivery of prescriptions to pharmacies by fax was then implemented and trialled on study participants (post-intervention group). The rate of delayed prescription retrieval was assessed in both the pre-intervention and post-intervention groups. 15 of 42 patients (35.7%) in the pre-intervention group and 9 of 72 (14.3%) in the post-intervention group had delayed prescription retrieval suggesting relative and absolute risk reductions of 65% and 23.2% respectively (p=0.0045). Of the participants with delayed prescription retrieval, 100% in the pre-intervention group and 77.8% in the post-intervention group were due a new prescribed medication on the day of discharge. Patients who experienced a formalized discharge process, which included electronic delivery of prescriptions by fax, at the time of discharge from cardiac inpatient care had a lower rate of delayed prescription retrieval. Future studies are required to further examine the incidence of adverse clinical events among patients with delayed prescription retrieval and the impact of formal discharge processes on patient morbidity and mortality.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)