Medication Notebooks have been expected to play an important role in avoiding risks associated with medical treatment.However,our findings from an initial investigation in which we asked patients about what they desired from Medication Notebooks by means of a questionnaire were that many patients carried more than one notebook,never carried one with them,did not show the notebook to anybody other than their family doctor or did not feel they were useful.In order make medication notebooks more useful to patients,we made“information stickers”for them which include questions frequently asked by patients,medication-related information such as laboratory data sheets and blood pressure graphs,and important dosage instructions and other important information.The stickers were designed to have a strong visual impact and be easy to understand and were inserted in notebooks when giving patients instructions on their medication.
Doing this resulted in increase in the percentage of patients carrying the notebook at 9 out of 11 pharmacies which adopted the information stickers as opposed to an increase in the carrying rate at only 3 out of 9 pharmacies which did not adopt them,a significant difference (P=0.035).In another questionnaire in which supervising pharmacists were asked whether the information stickers were a useful addition to that in the Medication Notebook,they responded that they were useful in communication with patients about notebooks and teaching them about their medication,and enhanced their knowledge.In conclusion,the adoption of our information stickers can make notebooks more patient-oriented and meet their expectations to a greater extent.
