Methods We conducted a 5-month study at The Northern Hospital and Western Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, during 2006. Pharmacists recorded a defined range of activities that they provided for individual patients, including the actual times required

for these tasks. A customised database, linked to the two hospitals’ patient administration Selleck INK-128 systems, stored these data according to the specific patient episode number. We then examined the influence of patient presentation and complexity on clinical pharmacy activities provided. Key findings During intervals when pharmacists recorded the time required to conduct activities, the average time required to perform the medication history and reconciliation exercise on 3052 occasions was 9.6 ± 4.5 min. The 1844 interventions MDV3100 required an average of 5.9 ± 3.0 min, clinical review of the patient’s medical record required 5.5 ± 2.7 min and medication order review required 3.5 ± 1.3 min. For all of these activities, the time required was greater for medical patients than for surgical patients and greater for patients whose Diagnosis Related Group classification included a complication or co-morbidity. The average time required to perform all clinical pharmacy activities for 4625 completed patient episodes was 22.4 ± 16.7 min and was again greater for medical patients and for patients with a complication

or co-morbidity. Conclusions The times required to perform a range of clinical pharmacy activities for individual patients was affected by whether the patients were medical or surgical patients. Furthermore, the existence of co-morbidities or complications affected these times. The methodology has potential application for other patient presentations and in other practice settings. “
“Many family carers provide assistance with medicines that is vital for optimal clinical outcomes. Medicines-related tasks are known to contribute to carer burden and stress. This study examined the experiences of family carers when providing medicines-related assistance for a person with dementia,

to only indicate how services could become more responsive to the specific needs of this group of carers. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with family carers and care-recipients identified though a memory clinic in north London and a local Alzheimer’s Society. The interview guide, comprising open questions, was informed by previous studies and consultation with stakeholders. Qualitative procedures involving a framework approach were employed in the analysis. Fourteen interviews with carers and five with care-recipients were conducted. These highlighted the burden and challenges, surrounding medicines-management activities. As well as practical aspects that could be complex, carers were commonly making judgements about the need for and appropriateness of medicines.