Patients’ adherence to therapy and understanding of medication improve significantly when they use the MedActionPlan for Organ Transplant (MAP-OT) patient education tool, according to two recent studies conducted at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

The studies are summarized in the Spring 2010 newsletter of the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS).

Read more here. 

MedicineNursing.com features an article about MyMedSchedule:

“As a person caring for a family member who is dependent on prescription medication due to a chronic illness, I have found MyMedSchedule to be invaluable,” said Donna Hargett. “I was originally introduced to the program by the staff at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis when my husband underwent a transplant. They use it all the time, and share it with all of their transplant patients. The site is wonderful. I don't know how I could have managed my husband's medications without it.” 

Read the rest of the article at MedicineNursing.com.

Medication errors are a significant problem facing healthcare organizations, particularly in areas like transplantation which require complex regimens. With that in mind, transplant pharmacists at the University of California San Diego Medical Center have undertaken several initiatives to help improve compliance and reduce errors. 

View the following excerpts from the Winter issue of the UCSD Journal of Nursing to see how the UCSD team integrates MedActionPlan to help educate patients about their medication regimens.

UCSD_Nursing_Winter09.pdf (552.60 kb)

Free online program allows pharmacists and patients to create customized printable treatment plans.

This article originally appeared on the website of the Iowa Pharmacy Association. Used with permission.

Do you struggle to help your patients improve their medication adherence? According to the Center for Technology and Aging report, 23% of all nursing home admissions are a result of poor medication compliance. Whether it is one medication or 15, pharmacists, patients, and caregivers are challenged daily to ensure medications are taken correctly and on time. 

MyMedSchedule.com may offer a solution to the growing problem of poor adherence. This new, free online program is set up so that patients can create and print or email personalized dosing schedules that include the name, strength, and picture of the drug as well as specific dosing instructions for each medication. This tool is also a great way for pharmacists to assist patients with adherence issues by either creating the medication list for the patient or simply helping them use the service. The program includes patient-friendly education handouts in Spanish, English, large font, and wallet-sized cards as well as email and text message reminders that notify patients when to take a certain medication or simply when a drug is due for a refill.

If you are interested in a more extensive service, another free tool, MedActionPlan.com, allows providers to create profiles that include documentation of allergies as well as assistance in dosing schedules, anticoagulation titration schedules and Diabetes management in addition to the dosing handouts mentioned above. This is a universal service that can be utilized in any type of pharmacy setting, whether you practice inpatient, outpatient, retail, or in a variety of other types of pharmacy settings.

According to Donna Gemme Brooten, Director of Marketing and Client Relations of MedActionPlan, “Over 50% of the hospitals that use MedActionPlan use their pharmacist team as the lead for the program and for patient education. It is used as an education and adherence tool for in-patient and at discharge, and also in clinic and outpatient settings.”

Again, MyMedSchedule and MedActionPlan are both free and can be accessed from any computer as long as Internet is available and Javascript is turned on. They are HIPAA compliant, and the online tutorials are quick and easy to follow. The program is endorsed by several national organizations such as American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN), The Organization for Transplant Professionals (NATCO), and the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS) as well.

Most importantly, however, is that through the use of printed daily schedules, specific dosing instructions, and reminders, pharmacists can help patients improve their medication compliance. This can increase medication efficacy and enhance the patient’s quality of life--all free of charge.

For more information on utilizing MyMedSchedule.com, visit the website http://www.MyMedSchedule.com to view the tutorials. If you are interested in using MedActionPlan.com, visit the website www.MedActionPlan.com. For either service, call 800-543-2230 with questions, or contact Donna Gemme Brooten.

References:

• www.MedActionPlan.com
• www.MyMedSchedule.com
• "Optimizing Medication Use in Older Adults." Center for Technology and Aging. (October 2009): 1-32. Print.

“Wow! This website made it super easy to organize and remind me of my pill schedule after surgery. My favorite feature was the printable charts that showed a picture and description of my medications, so there was no confusion. The text message reminders were an added bonus. Using MyMedSchedule gave me peace of mind that I was taking the right medications at the right times. Absolutely love this service, and recommend it to anyone taking medication.”

Andrew F.
Student, Appalachian State ’11

Denny McGinnis of Sioux City, Iowa recently shared this with his family through myfamily.com:

CHECK IT OUT—IT'S FREE
http://www.mymedschedule.com

This is something any of you retirees, non-retirees, or anyone who takes quite a few meds might be interested in.

I have quite a laundry list of meds, and keeping up on when it is time to refill them, or to get a new written prescription, has proven at times, quite a chore when they all expire at different times.

With this online program, which is FREE, you can elect to get an automated email message, text message on your cell phone, or both, when it’s time to take your meds, when it’s time to refill them, and when it’s time to ask the doctor for a new written prescription. You can print out your med schedule—regular sized paper, or wallet size for your next visit to the doctor. You can edit the dosage, time of day, or delete the meds that the doctor recommends you stop taking.

When I set up my med schedule, I elected to only have email messages sent to me to remind me to refill/get a new prescription. In the month since I set it up, I have received 4 alert/ reminder emails.

I am very pleased with this service.

Taking more than 1 type of medication? Confused about how much, of which color, at what time? If so, you or your caretaker, must listen carefully.

TryThisTip.com also says MyMedSchedule is a “fabulous FREE organizational tool for recording and updating all information relating to the administration of medication.” View the whole post.

“As a new kidney transplant recipient, I found MyMedSchedule.com to be the most important reminder tool that I can use to adhere to my doctor-prescribed medication schedule. It is now my duty to follow my doctor’s orders to the letter if I want to keep my new kidney from rejecting. By having the assistance of a well organized printed schedule, I can follow it to the letter.”

—Jeffrey P. Lerer
San Ramon, CA.