Pharmaceutical care of psychiatric patients – Focus on adherence

Background: About 30% of psychiatric patients don't take their drugs as advised, which can lead to treatment failure and relapses [1]. Pharmacists' interventions improved medication adherence in other indications such as diabetes, [2] but it is unclear if psychiatric patients benefit from pharmacist counseling during hospitalization and particularly after discharge from hospital. Methods: To assess the impact of pharmacists' interventions on patient adherence, a controlled clinical trial in the department of psychiatry and psychotherapy at the university hospital of Erlangen was planned. Control patients receive usual care whereas patients in the intervention group benefit from education services offered by pharmacists during their stay and after discharge. Adherence is measured by “Medication Adherence Rating Scale” (MARS). The MARS is conducted at admission, discharge and 3 months after discharge. Results: So far, 114 control patients have been included in the control phase. During hospitalization, patient adherence improved from admission to discharge. First results from follow-up measurement indicate that adherence declines after discharge. Conclusion: Although follow-up data is still incomplete, it becomes apparent that some patients discontinue their drugs after discharge. The intervention phase will show if pharmacists can improve patients' adherence. 1. Burkhart P et al, Journal of Nurs Scholarsh 2003;35:207 2. Shah M et al, Journal of Pharm Practice 2013;26:120 – 124