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A telephone survey to determine the experiences of children and their parents/carers, following the initiation of a new medicine
  1. Jeff Aston1,
  2. Keith A Wilson2,
  3. Anthony Sinclair1,
  4. David Terry2
  1. 1Pharmacy Department, Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
  2. 2School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
  1. Correspondence to Jeff Aston, Pharmacy Department, Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham B4 6NH, UK; jeff.aston{at}bch.nhs.uk

Abstract

Objective To determine what issues are experienced during the first few weeks of therapy by patients, and their parents/carers, when a child/young person has been prescribed a new medicine.

Method One hundred patients aged ≤18 years of age prescribed a new medicine for ≥6 weeks were recruited from a single UK National Health Service specialist paediatric hospital outpatient pharmacy. Six weeks after the first dispensing of their new medicine the patient or their parent/carer received telephone follow-up by a researcher and verbally completed a questionnaire containing both open and closed questions. Patient or parent/carer experiences were identified and analysed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics.

Results Eighty-six participants were available for telephone follow-up. Six (7%) had not started their medicine. Paediatric patients and their parents/carers experienced a range of issues during the first few weeks after starting a new medicine. These included additional concerns/questions (24/80, 30%), administration issues (21/80, 26.3%), adverse effects (29/80, 36.3%) and obtaining repeat supplies (12/80, 15%). 32/80 (40%) participants occasionally forgot to take/administer their medicine and 18/80 (22.5%) omitted doses for reasons other than forgetting.

Conclusions Paediatric patients and their parents/carers experience a range of issues during the first few weeks after starting a new medicine. Further research is required to determine the type of interventions that may further support medicines use in this group of patients.

  • PAEDIATRICS
  • medication adherence
  • medication therapy management
  • united kingdom
  • CLINICAL PHARMACY

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