Continuity of care from acute to ambulatory care setting.

Pharmacists' perceptions of a pharmacy-to-pharmacy referral form designed to promote continuity of care for patients being discharged from a hospital were studied. Patients being discharged from a nonteaching, tertiary care hospital to a private residence and having at least one prescription for a new medication were invited to participate in the study. A pharmacy-to-pharmacy referral form was completed on the basis of each patient's medical record and discharge orders. Patients were provided with a copy of the form and told to give it to their community pharmacist with their discharge prescriptions; an additional copy was mailed the same day to the pharmacy. The pharmacist was instructed to telephone the hospital pharmacy on receipt of the form to schedule a telephone interview. A total of 127 patients were enrolled in the study; the average number of discharge medications per patient was 4.8. A total of 120 interviews were conducted with 91 community or ambulatory care pharmacists. In 102 cases (85%), the pharmacists indicated that the referral form provided information that resulted in a benefit to the patient through indication-specific counseling. In 104 cases (87%), pharmacists indicated that the form provided information that had a positive impact on patient-pharmacist interactions, and 75 interviews (62%) indicated that pharmacists were able to incorporate the information into a database to direct future patient care. Community and ambulatory care pharmacists who received information from hospital pharmacists about patients being discharged from the hospital reported that the information aided in patient care.