[Self administration of oral medications in hospitalized patients with orthopedic-traumatology conditions].

Self administration of drugs is the exception in hospitalized patients, even if an increasing body of literature shows the advantages of this practice. The aim of the study was to identify criteria for selecting patients able to self administer their drugs, and assess their number. Six focus groups with nurses of orthopaedic wards were organised to identify the main criteria for selecting patients. The criteria were: no severe disabilities, reliable (according to the nurses' judgement); willing to do so; able to swallow; spatially and temporally oriented; able to learn; already self-administering drugs at home. In a one day prevalence survey over 112 patients prescribed oral drugs 58% were considered eligible for self administration. The more relevant criterion was the reliability. If nurses allowed the eligible patients to self administer drugs they could save 70 minutes/day to spend in informing patients on their drug therapies.