Harmful Drug Reactions Get Help from Automated Follow-Ups

According to a new study performed in Canada, automated phone systems that send patients repeated reminders can help spot harmful drug reactions.

In the study, researchers used a system called ISTOP-ADE. This automated system called patients three days after they received a prescription and again 17 days later.

Of the 628 patients studied, ISTOP-ADE was able to reach 465 at the three-day mark and 475 at the 17-day mark. The system asked patients whether they had issues filling a prescription and taking the medication. The system also asked patients if they had any new symptoms and wanted to speak with the pharmacist. One-third of the patients who answered asked to speak to a pharmacist, who then called the patient back.

At 21 days, all of the patients were interviewed about their medication use, symptoms and healthcare visits. That information was collated with their electronic health records and the results of the automated calls.

The results of the study found that the system identified 46 percent of harmful drug events, such as patients forgetting to fill their prescriptions or take their medications. The study also influenced how 40 percent of those events were managed. Researchers noted that patients must be given more opportunities to ask questions about their medications before they fill their prescriptions.

The study also shows that automated technology can help patients improve adherence to their medications. To learn more about this study and ones like it contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.