Letters to the Editor

Abstract

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Medication safety and patient participation: pharmacist, emergency department and beyondTo the Editor, We would like to inform your readers about a resource available to all on the New South Wales government web site (listed below) and to briefly describe the processes involved in its development, using a health promotion and 'systems' approach. The resource, 'What to do with your tablets and medicines when coming into hospital', was developed with input from emergency and pharmacy department staff, community health services, multicultural health unit and consumers.The emergency department is at the interface between the community and hospital. To ensure safe use of medicines, clear communication about medication issues between patients, carers, doctors, nurses and pharmacists is of utmost importance. Given the time constraints in a busy emergency department and the lack of accurate information at presentation, it is not surprising that identifying and hence preventing medication-related admissions is inconsistently done. Around 2 to 3% of all hospital admissions in Australia are medication-related as are 6 to 7% of all hospital emergency admissions. 1,2 The National Medicines Policy framework advocates a partnership approach with patients to enhance the quality use of medicines. 3 As patients seen in the emergency department are often unaware of the names of their medications, their dosages or how to take them, the emergency department and community liaison pharmacists at the Prince of Wales Hospital saw the need to involve patients at the beginning of their admission, by educating them about their role in knowing about their medications. 4 Because many hospitals do not have a comprehensive emergency department pharmacy service, pharmacists are not always available in the emergency department to sort through medication issues on admission. 5 Patients themselves could bridge this gap by carrying a current medication list and bringing in all their medications from home, thus helping health professionals to compile an accurate medication history on admission.A poster and pamphlet were developed, encouraging patients to bring all medicines into hospital and to all doctors' appointments, to know what medications they are taking and to keep an up-to-date medication list and show it to relevant health professionals. 6 The English version was translated into the six most common languages of patients presenting to the hospital (Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Russian). The posters were displayed throughout the hospital and the pamphlets were distributed to all outpatient areas in the hospital. Thai and Vietnamese translations were added on request by our Respiratory Clinic. The pamphlet message has now gone beyond our emergency department and our hospital and is available in English and the six foreign languages at <www.health.nsw.gov.au/health-public-affairs/mhcs/ publications/6930.html>.