1 The small sample size in this study is a LDK378 limitation impacting on data saturation. The views of more hospital pharmacists
across different NHS Trusts should be sought to further inform this initial finding. 1. Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Keeping patients safe when they transfer between care providers – getting the medicines right. 2012, Royal Pharmaceutical Society: London. 2. Barnett N, Parmar P, Ward C. Supporting continuity of care: referral to the NMS after discharge from hospital. PJ, 2013; 290:178–179. B. Katusiime, M. O’Grady, S. Corlett, J. Krska Medway School of Pharmacy, The Universities of Kent and Greenwich at Medway, Kent, UK We determined peoples’ experiences of using regular prescription medicines, and their
impact on daily living through a web-based survey, involving selleck chemicals llc thematic analysis of responses to a free-text question. Regular use of prescription medicines disrupts daily activities and impacts on personal lifestyles, while side-effects reduce quality of life. Health professionals should be more aware of the impact of regular medicines use on individuals. Regular medicines use may interrupt life’s normal flow, restrict routine activities, and reduce an individual’s quality of life1. Understanding peoples’ experiences of using medicines is fundamental for health professionals seeking to optimise medicines use. This study aimed to determine experiences of using regular prescription medicines among the general public. A pre-validated, self-completion, online survey2 comprising 60 items was used, else incorporating one open-ended question, exploring how medicines affect day-to-day life. Inclusion criteria were: age 18 and over, using regular prescription medicines and living in the UK. The survey was promoted via flyers, social networks [including Facebook and Twitter] and health-related websites [such as HealthUnlocked©]. This analysis covers only the findings from
free-text responses to the open question, which was conducted using NVIVO 10. The analysis drew on a pre-developed coding framework2, comprising eight domains. Institutional ethical approval was granted. A total of 647 individuals completed the survey, mostly via websites [48.8%, n = 316] or social media [44.8%, n = 290]. The majority were female [80.5%, n = 521]. The highest proportion [38.6%, n = 250] were aged 50–64 years, with 245 [37.9%], 53 [8.2%] and 11 [1.7%] aged 30–49, 65–74 and ≥75 years respectively. At least half [54.1%, n = 350] were using four or more regular prescription medicines. In total, 421 comments were received, from 30.6% [n = 198] of all respondents. The highest proportion [18.1 %, n = 76] concerned the impact of using medicines, mostly negative [93.4%, n = 71], describing disruption to daily activities. The need to plan/adjust personal schedules to cope with medicine-related demands was perceived as both time- and energy-consuming. Comments about practicalities [14.