Hospital discharge and medications: Five questions to ask your doctor
Keep yourself safe and healthy at home with these tips.
Although being discharged from the hospital is an important first step toward recovery, most patients will need to continue to manage their health in the days, and weeks, following hospitalization—namely when it comes to medications.
Unfortunately, many hospital patients aren’t entirely sure what medicines to take when they get home, or how to take them. A study from the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Quality Assurance committees found that up to 73 percent of older adults failed to use at least one medication according to their health care provider's advice. Another study from the journal PLOS One found that 28 percent of discharged patients didn’t properly take their medications within seven days of leaving the hospital, while another 24 percent failed to keep up on their medications within 30 days of discharge.
Why does this happen?
A lack of knowledge surrounding medications post-discharge can lead to avoidable setbacks, health complications, and readmission, no matter the reason for a patient’s hospitalization. Not having the right list of medicine when leaving the hospital is a major cause of complications after your release.
How can I stay safe and healthy after being discharged?
Start by asking your medical team the following key questions:
- Do I need to take any new medicines?
- Are there particular directions for each medicine, including if I should take it with or without food, in the morning or evening, etc.?
- Which of my old medicines should I keep taking?
- Which of my old medicines should I stop taking?
- Do the doses of any of my medicines change?
Consult your pharmacist when filling your prescriptions, and speak with your health care provider and nurses during follow-up visits. They are part of your care team and can address your questions.
