Multidrug Blister Pack Study

Kurt Hersberger

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Any Event Leading to Hospitalisation

Treatments: Device: Electronic multidrug blister pack

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01759095

EKBB54/12

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine the benefit of patients using a multidrug blister packs after discharged from an university hospital to their homes.

Full description

Typical adherence rates for oral prescription medications are approximately 50-76%. Insufficient adherence causes an increase in morbidity, mortality, and costs, and decreases quality of life of patients. Multidrug blister packs are recommended to improve adherence and are widely used in Switzerland. However, evidence is poor and patient-relevant endpoints are seldom measured. This study was designed to compare patient-relevant outcomes in patients with medication repackaged in multidrug blister packs versus patients with medication dispensed in commercially available packages. Adherence of the intervention group will be monitored electronically and feedback will be given to the patients. The intervention will take place in a study pharmacy. Follow-up visits will take place at the study pharmacy at 3, 6, and 12 months for all patients. Study duration will be 12 months.

Enrollment: 11 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age over 18 years
• Prescription of 4 or more different oral solid drugs
• Capable to understand german (verbally and written)
• Capable to give informed consent
• Insured by a Swiss health insurance
• Manages his/her pharmacotherapy without external support
• Obtains his/her medication from a community pharmacy
• Accepts to use an electronic multidrug blister pack
• Place of domicile in Basel-Stadt or Basel-Land

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnancy
• > 2 drugs that cannot be packed into a multidrug blister pack (e.g. fluids)
• Dementia, or evaluated as cognitively impaired by the responsible nurse
• Transplanted patient
• Anticoagulation with oral vitamin K antagonists
• Has already used a multidrug blister pack of Pharmis or a Medifilm® single dose system
• is visually impaired (blind)
• cannot push drugs through a blister
• refuses to allow contact to his/her regular pharmacy and GP
• is referred to a nursing home or to rehabilitation or another hospital at discharge
• is included in other clinical trial

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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11 participants in 2 patient groups

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

At hospital discharge, patients of the control group will receive usual care at their community pharmacy.

Electronic Multidrug Blister Pack

Experimental group

Treatment:

Device: Electronic multidrug blister pack