[Drug information for patients -- unmet needs, evaluation and influence on the compliance]

Many German patients are only insufficiently informed on their own drug therapy. Therefore, they have unmet drug information needs. We report the three-year experiences with the first drug information service for patients in Germany. We evaluate the impact of the advice on outcomes, patient sovereignty and Compliance.

All inquiries to the project within 36 months were analysed. Every patient calling within the first 24 months got a questionnaire for evaluation after the advice. The data were documented and analysed using a relational database.

We registered 3316 inquiries. 66.2 % of the callers were female and 33,8 % male. The majority (64.5 %) was older than 65 years. The questions were mainly related to adverse drug reactions and interactions (26.6 %) as well as to information on efficacy of specific therapies (27.2 %). In 81,0 % of the patients, uncertainties regarding their medication were reduced by the advice. 37,9 % of the callers discussed the advice with their physician and 18,3 % reported a decreased consultation frequency after the advice. The patient-physician-relationship was mainly unaffected after using the service. A better compliance was reported by more than the half of the callers affected by non-compliance at the time of the advice.

The drug information service for patients is effective in providing medical expert information to the patients regarding their own medication. Additionally, the interaction competence of the patients was strengthened. We observed a general drug information deficit. A qualified advice may reduce medical problems caused by information deficits and reduce the use of ambulatory care. At the individual patient, the trust in its pharmacotherapy was strengthened and the compliance improved.