Informing patients about medicines--a hospital in-patient survey in England

To determine the frequency with which hospital in-patients receive information about medicines and whether this varies dependent on patient characteristics or hospitals.

Cross-sectional survey of medical in-patients in six hospitals in North West England.

1218 questionnaires were completed sufficiently for analysis by medical in-patients. 534 (43.9%) respondents were informed fully about their medicines by a hospital doctor, nurse or pharmacist and 411 (33.9%) partly informed, but 272 (22.49%) had received no information or could not recall any. Fewer than 20% had received written medicines information. The majority of respondents (763; 62.6%) were not asked if they had any concerns or could not recall this. Patient factors including age, educational level and number of medicines taken did not influence whether or not medicines information was provided, but there were differences between hospitals.

There is considerable variation between hospitals in the frequency with which patients are given verbal and written information about medicines and are asked about any medicine-related concerns.

Informing patients about medicines while in hospital needs to be improved. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists all need to accept and co-ordinate responsibility for informing patients about medicines and asking if they have any concerns or questions.