Do patients cash prescriptions? An audit in one practice

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmaceutical Policy

Background:

• A significant percentage of patients may not be collecting their prescribed medications.
• Understanding prescription non-fulfillment is crucial for patient adherence and healthcare system efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the rate of uncashed prescriptions within a general practice setting.
• To identify factors associated with prescription non-fulfillment, specifically prescription charges.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1,395 prescriptions issued at a group practice.
• Calculation of the percentage of uncashed prescriptions.
• Statistical assessment for associations between prescription charges and uncashed prescriptions.

Main Results:

• A total of 89 out of 1,395 prescriptions (6.4%) remained uncashed.
• A statistically significant association was found between the requirement to pay prescription charges and prescriptions being uncashed.

Conclusions:

• The rate of uncashed prescriptions in this group practice was 6.4%.
• Prescription charges appear to be a barrier to medication collection.
• Monitoring uncashed prescription rates is recommended as a method for practice self-audit and identifying potential adherence issues.