Collaboration in chronic care: unpacking medications

programme on elderly the relationship of pharmacists

and general inpatientsʼ competence to manage medical
practitioners in primary care
medications: a pilot study
Authors: Lam P et al
Summary: Outcomes are reported from an inpatient self-administration of
medications programme (SAMP) administered to 24 elderly patients (mean
age 77.4 years), who generally had a high level of functioning. The SAMP
comprised three stages: education, progressing to supervised self-
administration and finally to independent self-administration. When they
commenced the SAMP, the participants were prescribed a mean of 9.0
medications. Twenty-two participants successfully completed the SAMP.
Discharge scores on the Drug Regimen Unassisted Grading Scale were
improved significantly (p<0.001) from baseline. Participation in the SAMP
significantly decreased non-adherent behaviour (p=0.02) and helped to
improve adherent behaviour (p=0.08).
Reference: J Clin Pharm Ther. 2011;36(1):80-6.

Comment: This is an interesting and current delve into what the GP-
Pharmacist relationship looks like in Australian primary care. One factor that
seems not to have changed in recent times is the lack of knowledge of each
otherʼs roles. I canʼt help thinking that if we managed more collaborative
training, more collaborative practice would result – ultimately benefitting the
patient. I found it curious that GPs were more interested in the ʻclinical
contentʼ of communications and Pharmacists were more concerned with the
nature and style of the communication. I think to benefit the patient both need
to be focused on

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2710.2009.01157.x/abstract