Background Patient’s personal treatment (PPT) management in a hospital is a problem potentially responsible for incidents such as medical duplications that can lead to serious consequences (especially with oral anticoagulants), treatment omissions and dosages. The management of PTT is not subject to legal/national regulation in Belgium or institutional regulation in our hospital.

Purpose The primary objective was to establish an inventory of management practices of PTT in our hospital by conducting interviews with inpatients and nurses. The secondary objective was to propose an institutional regulation for the control and administration of PTT.

Material and methods The state of play was realised in 22 care units from 5 October to 4 November 2016. PTT management was evaluated by a pharmacist with a survey (patient/responsible nurse) based on a review of the literature.

Results Into the targeted care units, 47% (195/410) hospitalised patients were included. Of 410 patients hospitalised into the targeted care units, 195 patients were included. Sixty five per cent (102/195) had the usual treatment and brought their own drugs into hospital. Among the 289 drugs brought by patients, 71% of drugs (206) were registered in the hospital’s drug formulary and were administered.

Conclusion PPT management in a hospital is problematic in terms of safetyand quality, and concerns an important part of patients’ treatment, as confirmed by this study. Communicating the results to the different stakeholders is a first step in this process of continuous improvement of quality. An institutional regulation standardising and securing PTT management practices must be drafted, taking into account reality in the field. Other proposals are under study: verification of compliance by nurses, identification of PTT, information to the patient to prevent the use of PPT in parallel with treatment administered by nursing staff, and sensitisation of patients and visitors to these practices.

References and/or acknowledgements None.