Impact of postal and telephone reminders on pick-up rates of unclaimed e-prescriptions.

• OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of a reminder (i.e., a mailed letter or short telephone call) from the pharmacy to patients, compared with no reminder in a control group, on the pick-up rates of unclaimed e-prescriptions. METHOD: Patients, with e-prescriptions transmitted to four large community pharmacies in two counties in northern Sweden and remaining unclaimed after 4 weekdays, were randomised to one of two intervention groups (a mailed reminder or a short telephonic reminder) or a control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of patients' pick-up of their e-prescriptions at follow-up after about 1, 2 and 3 weeks. RESULTS: Altogether, 320 patients with e-prescriptions, transmitted from March 21 through April 6 and not picked-up or dispensed, were identified and randomised to the study. There were no statistically significant differences in overall pick-up rates between the groups or with respect to gender. However, pick-up rates increased with increasing age. Higher pick-up rates were observed for two subgroups (but only in the mailed reminder group compared with controls)--for cardiovascular drugs to men and for respiratory drugs to adolescents and young adults. CONCLUSION: A reminder (i.e., a mailed letter or short telephone call) from the pharmacy to the patient had no statistically significant effect on overall pick-up rates of unclaimed e-prescriptions compared with no reminders.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Samhällsfarmaci och klinisk farmaci (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Social and Clinical Pharmacy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kardiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Näringslära (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nutrition and Dietetics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Pick-up rates

Primary non-compliance

Reminders

Unclaimed prescriptions

Sweden

Community pharmacy services

Samhällsfarmaci

Natural Science

Naturvetenskap

Pharmacology

Farmakologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)