Self-administration of medications in inpatient postnatal women: an opportunity to empower self-care, improved medicines knowledge and adherence utilising clinical pharmacists and midwifery workforce and use of a midwife formulary.

Objectives: To assess the impact of self-administration of medicines (facilitated by a midwife formulary) on postnatal women's knowledge of certain post-delivery medications, awareness of the Green Bag Scheme, factors contributing to constipation, pain satisfaction, adherence, and time released to midwives plus feedback from these women and their midwives.

Methods: The study was conducted in consented postnatal women, who self-administered medications from their bedside lockers. The mode of delivery and parity were recorded.

A modified Delphi study to determine the level of consensus across the European Union on the structures, processes and desired outcomes of the management of polypharmacy in older people.

Background: Inappropriate use of multiple medicines (inappropriate polypharmacy) is a major challenge in older people with consequences of increased prevalence and severity of adverse drug reactions and interactions, and reduced medicines adherence. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of consensus amongst key stakeholders in the European Union (EU) in relation to aspects of the management of polypharmacy in older people.

Methods: Forty-six statements were developed on aspects of healthcare structures, processes and desired outcomes, with consensus defined at ≥ 80% agreement.

A pilot study to assess the practicality, acceptability and feasibility of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a pharmacist complex intervention on patients with stroke in their own homes.

Objective: To test the practicality, acceptability and feasibility of recruitment, data collection, blood pressure (BP) monitoring and pharmaceutical care processes, in order to inform the design of a definitive randomised controlled trial of a pharmacist complex intervention on patients with stroke in their own homes.

Methods: Patients with new stroke from acute, rehabilitation wards and a neurovascular clinic (NVC) were randomised to usual care or to an intervention group who received a home visit at 1, 3 and 6 months from a clinical pharmacist. Pharmaceutical care comprised medication review, medicines and lifestyle advice, pharmaceutical care issue (PCI) resolution and supply of individualised patient information.

Views of patients and professionals about electronic multicompartment medication devices: a qualitative study.

Objectives: To explore the perceived acceptability, advantages and disadvantages of electronic multicompartment medication devices.

Design: Qualitative study using 8 focus groups and 10 individual semistructured interviews. Recordings were transcribed and analysed thematically.

EVALUATION OF AN ELECTRONIC PAEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (PICU) MEDICATION RECONCILIATION (MR) FORM.

Aim: To gather opinions from doctors and pharmacists to improve the design of the PICU MR form generated by the electronic prescribing and clinical notes system to support transfer of care from PICU to downstream wards that use paper systems.

Method: A purposive sample of 10 forms covering a comprehensive range of medication information common to PICU patients was selected from practice between March 2014 and May 2014. Pharmacists (n=7) and doctors (n=9) who received these forms on downstream wards were invited to participate in semi-structured one-to-one interviews (n=20) with the PICU pharmacist within 48 hrs of receipt to explore their views about the form.

A systematic review of electronic multi-compartment medication devices with reminder systems for improving adherence to self-administered medications.

Background: Many patients experience difficulties adhering to medication regimes. For people who forget or get confused about medication, there are products to help them such as multi-compartment medication devices (MMDs). Some of these, known as electronic MMDs (eMMDs), use audible and/or visual signals to prompt the patient when to take medication, dispense medications, give instructions to the patient, and contact a caregiver (mobile Internet or text to a carer) as needed.

Optimisation of secondary prevention of stroke: a qualitative study of stroke patients' beliefs, concerns and difficulties with their medicines.

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to explore stroke patients' and carers' beliefs and concerns about medicines and identify the barriers to medication adherence for secondary stroke prevention.

Methods: Qualitative semistructured one-on-one interviews were conducted with 30 patients with diagnosis of stroke. Interviews were analysed using the framework approach.

Design of antimicrobial stewardship care bundles on the high dependency unit.

Background: Antimicrobial guidelines aim to optimise treatment and minimise development of resistance. Care bundles support the implementation of local guidelines.

Objective: Pharmacist identification of where in the prescribing, monitoring and documentation process, the quality of antimicrobial management in a High Dependency Unit of a large teaching hospital could be improved and design of antimicrobial care bundles for initiation and de-escalation of therapy to standardise care and improve practice.

An examination of subgroup classification in irritable bowel syndrome patients over time: a prospective study.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a complex functional gastrointestinal disorder which to date remains poorly understood. Therapies for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients are usually aimed at relieving the predominant symptom; however, little evidence exists as to whether or not the predominant symptom changes with time. Nurses are becoming increasingly involved in the assessment and management of IBS patients.

Design of an algorithm to support community pharmacy dyspepsia management.

Objectives: To design a care pathway and referral documentation system to support dyspepsia management in the community pharmacy according to national guidelines. To explore attitudes of community pharmacists and general practitioners (GPs) towards the proposed model of care.

Setting: Focus group of four community pharmacists from one locality and one-to-one interviews with five GPs in each of their surgeries in different city localities.

Factors that influence prescribers in their selection and use of COX-2 selective inhibitors as opposed to non-selective NSAIDs.

Objective: To identify factors that influence prescribers in their selection and use of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors as opposed to non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and report the tendency to co-prescribe gastro-protection with these agents.

Setting: All 579 general practitioners (GPs) in one geographical area, Lothian, Scotland, UK.

Method: Postal questionnaires; simple and factorial designed case series questionnaire.

A comparison of irritable bowel syndrome patients managed in primary and secondary care: the Episode IBS study.

Background: It is thought that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who consult secondary care have more severe symptomatology than those treated mainly in primary care.

Aims: To describe the physical and psychological symptoms of IBS, and the health-related quality of life of patients managed in primary and secondary care.

Design Of Study: Cross-sectional observational survey.