UK survey of the provision of multicompartment compliance aids and medicines reminder charts on discharge from hospital

Abstract

Objective: To describe and characterise the provision of multicompartment compliance aids (MCAs) and medicine reminder charts (MRCs) in UK hospitals; to investigate the transfer of information about these items between secondary and primary care and to investigate methods of remuneration for MCA supply in primary care. Method: A structured questionnaire was sent to the dispensary manager at each of the 217 acute hospitals in the UK with one reminder after four weeks. Questions covered whether the hospital provided MCAs and MRCs and, if so, the process for deciding which patients should receive one and the type of device to be used. The survey also explored local arrangements for continuing the use of MCAs and MRCs after the patient was discharged from hospital. Key findings: The response rate was 73.7% (160) and one or more type of MCA and/or MRC were supplied by 134 hospitals to some patients on discharge. Medicines reminder charts were supplied by 106 (66.3%) hospitals. Reusable MCAs were supplied by 131 (81.9%) hospitals and sealed blister pack MCAs were supplied by 35 (21.9%) hospitals. Only 26 (16.3%) hospitals reported having formal methods of targeting which patients should receive a compliance aid. The most common method of funding for the filling of compliance aids by community pharmacists was reported to be the use of weekly repeat prescriptions in 38 (28.4%) primary care trusts (PCTs) and a specific fee for dispensing compliance aids in 12 (9%). Information about the compliance aid was communicated to the patient's community pharmacist by 66 (49.2%) hospitals. Information about the compliance aid was communicated to the patient's general practitioner by 77 (57.5%) hospitals. Conclusion: MCAs are supplied by the majority of hospitals in the UK but only a minority said they had a formal system to target patients for their use. Arrangements for remuneration for supplying and filling MCAs were variable. Our results show that transfer of information between secondary and primary care about MCAs needs to be improved. © 2005 The Authors.