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Unavailable prescriptions at Danish community pharmacies: A descriptive study
Carina Lundby1,2,3, Anne Vejrum Nielsen4,5, Susanne Bendixen5
1Hospital Pharmacy Funen, Odense University Hospital, Solfaldsvej 38, Entrance 208, 5000, Odense C, Denmark. carina.lundby.olesen@rsyd.dk.
International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
|April 19, 2019
Summary
Unavailable prescriptions, often due to miscommunication with general practitioners, occur in about 1.4% of dispensed medications. This issue primarily affects regular medications for chronic conditions, impacting patient care and pharmacy workflow.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Practice
- Health Services Research
- Medication Management
Background:
- Handling unavailable prescriptions is a significant challenge for community pharmacy staff, leading to patient dissatisfaction and non-compliance.
- Unavailable prescriptions, defined as those missing from the online server, require time-consuming interventions.
- Understanding the frequency and causes of unavailable prescriptions is crucial for improving pharmacy services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence and primary reasons for unavailable prescriptions in Danish community pharmacies.
- To identify the types of medications most frequently involved in unavailable prescription incidents.
- To analyze the impact of unavailable prescriptions on pharmacy operations and patient care.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 24 community pharmacies across Denmark.
- Data collection over a 3-week period using an 11-item online questionnaire.
- Registration and analysis of all handled unavailable prescriptions during the study period.
Main Results:
- A total of 2765 unavailable prescriptions (1.4%) were registered out of 194,358 dispensed prescriptions.
- Over half (51.1%) of unavailable prescriptions occurred when patients expected refills after physician consultations, predominantly with general practitioners (75.6%).
- Cardiovascular (15.8%) and nervous system drugs (14.4%) were the most commonly affected medication classes, often for chronic conditions.
Conclusions:
- Unavailable prescriptions represent a notable issue in Danish community pharmacies, occurring in approximately 1.4% of all dispensing.
- The primary driver for unavailable prescriptions appears to be miscommunication between patients and their general practitioners.
- Addressing communication gaps is essential to reduce the occurrence of unavailable prescriptions and improve patient medication access.
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