[Repeat prescription management systems: strategy for optimising their use]

To improve patient compliance with a repeat prescription system. To evaluate the reasons for not being punctual in collecting prescriptions and the non-compliance declared by the patients themselves.

Quasi-experimental study before and after intervention including a control group.

Primary health care centre which serves a population of 62,981 inhabitants.

Patients with chronic diseases included in the repeat prescription management system (100 in the control group and 100 in the intervention group) who were unpunctual in collecting their prescriptions.

An informative-educational session consisting of a short interview with the pharmacist from Primary Health Care Centre, in which the patient was educated on compliance of the repeat prescription system and treatment. The reasons for the unpunctuality were identified and the Moriskey-Green test was performed.

Punctuality of the patients in collecting their prescriptions after the intervention. Reasons for unpunctuality recorded at recruitment. Therapeutic compliance according to the Moriskey-Green test.

There was an overall absolute improvement of 17% in punctuality in the intervention group (60% of the patients in the intervention group and 43% in the control group were punctual in the first as well as in the second follow up. Women were more punctual in the intervention group. There were no differences seen due to age, number of medications or reason for unpunctuality.

It is possible to improve patient compliance with the prescription renewal system using a simple informative-educational intervention.