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Related Articles
Medication Reminder Services
Database Systems Corp. (DSC) has been in the telecommunications business since 1978 and is a leading provider of computer telephony software and phone technology including telephone reassurance phone systems that contact homebound residents to ensure their well-being.
Employing our advanced calling technology, DSC can deliver phone messages such as medication reminders for seniors and homebound patients in just minutes. A recorded message can be delivered to either answering machines or to individuals reminding subscribers to take their prescription medication.
Medication reminders can be customized for each senior including special instructions. Custom information for each patient (such as name, medication type, prescription dosage, number of times per day, etc.) can be included in these medication reminder messages.
The following article is useful when considering the importance of taking medications as prescribed.
Contact DSC to learn more about our medication reminder services and systems.
Automated Telephone Reminders Government Study
A Tool to Help Refill Medicines On Time
Source: U.S. Department Of Health and Human Resources
Current as of February 2008
AHRQ Publication No. 08-M017-EF
This easy to understand telephone script is provided for use by pharmacies wishing to provide automated refill reminder calls to patients to remind them to refill their prescriptions and allow patients to order the refill on the phone.
Developed under Contract No. 290-00-0011 for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Non-Adherence to Prescription Medications is a Documented Public Health Problem (4-6)
- Only 50-60 percent of patients are adherent in taking prescribed medicines over a one-year period.(1-3)
- Non-adherence is particularly concerning in patient populations with a high prevalence of chronic conditions.
- Medication non-adherence costs an estimated $100 billion annually in the United States and accounts for 10 percent of hospital admissions.(3)
Telephone Reminders to Refill or Pick Up Prescriptions Improve Medication Adherence
- Automated telephone reminder systems call patients to remind them to refill their prescriptions and allow patients to order the refill on the phone. However, these systems can be difficult for patients with limited health literacy to use.
- This literacy-friendly telephone script is provided for use by pharmacies wishing to provide automated refill reminder calls to patients.
- To deliver automated telephone reminder calls, your organization should work with a software vendor to develop a call flow process and implement the technology.
Automated Telephone Reminder Call Script
- System places outgoing call.
- Call answered (by person or answering machine).
- "Hello. This is the ______ pharmacy calling. Our records show that a person at this telephone number is due for a prescription order refill. To refill this order,now, please press (1). Or you may call the pharmacy back later at _______________."
- (1) is pressed to continue order:
- "The prescription order is for a person at this telephone number who was born in the month of . For security purposes, please enter the 2-digit birth day for this patient. For example, if the birth day is on the 2nd, please enter the numbers 0, 2 now."
- Birth date is valid/correct:
Our records show that prescriptions are due to be refilled. If you would like to refill all prescriptions now, press (1). If you know the prescription numbers you want refilled and would rather enter them yourself, press (2).
- (1) is pressed:
- "Thank you. Your order is being processed. Please allow 48 hours to process your order, and be sure to go to the _________ pharmacy that is located at the address on each prescription label. If you have a question or would like to speak with someone in the pharmacy, please call _____________. Thank you, goodbye."
- (2) is pressed:
- "Using your touch-tone phone, please enter your digit prescription number now."
- "If you have another prescription number to enter, press (1). If you do not have another prescription number to enter, press (2)."
- (1) is pressed:
- "Using your touch-tone phone, please enter your digit prescription number now."
- (2) is pressed:
- "Thank you. Your order is being processed. Please allow 48 hours to process your order, and be sure to go to the _________ pharmacy that is located at the address on each prescription label. If you have a question or would like to speak with someone in the pharmacy, please call _____________. Thank you, goodbye."
- Birth date is not valid/correct:
- "I'm sorry, the birth day you entered is not correct. If you would like to re-enter the birth day, press (1). If not, press (2)."
- (2) is pressed:
- "If you would like to speak with someone in the pharmacy, press (1). Or, please call the pharmacy back later at ____________."
Acknowledgments and Disclaimer
This guide was produced by The Pharmacy Intervention for Limited Literacy (PILL) Study Research Team under Contract No. 290-00-0011 T07 for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The investigators were Kara L. Jacobson, M.P.H., C.H.E.S.; Sunil Kripalani, M.D., M.Sc.; Julie A Gazmararian, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Karen J. McMorris, B.A. The AHRQ Task Order Officer for this project was Cindy Brach, M.P.P. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided funding for this guide. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Program Officer was Pamela S. Dickson, M.B.A.
The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, who are responsible for its contents; the findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Therefore, no statement in this guide should be construed as an official position of AHRQ, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
References
1. Haynes RB, Taylor DW, Sackett DL, eds. Compliance in Health Care. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins; 1979.
2. McDonald HP, Garg AX, Haynes RB. Interventions to enhance patient adherence to medication prescriptions: scientific review. JAMA 2002;288:2868-79.
3. Vermeire E, Hearnshaw H, Van Royen P, Denekens J. Patient adherence to treatment: three decades of research. A comprehensive review. J Clin Pharm Ther 2003;26:331-42.
4. Ascione FJ, Brown GH, Kirking DM. Evaluation of a medication refill reminder system for a community pharmacy. Pt Educ & Couns Jun 1985;7(2):157-65.
5. KC, Kennedy DT, Holdford D, Small RE. Evaluation of patient adherence from a telephone intervention program in community pharmacy practice. Virginia Pharm 2000;84(Nov):23-27.
6. Simkins CV, Wenzloff NJ. Evaluation of a computerized reminder system in the enhancement of patient medication refill compliance. Drug Intell & Clin Pharm 1986;20(Oct):799-802.
Additional Medication Reminder Articles
The following are other articles relating to medication reminders and prescription refill services:
Individual Medication Reminder Account Signup
DSC provides an easy and secure sign-up procedure (For a quick overview, please visit the registration information web page).
- Online Enrollment - Sign-up online using our secure website.
- Subscriber Profile - Specify the senior citizen's profile (dates and times to make calls).
- Name Contacts - Identify who we need to contact if we can't reach the senior.
- Secure Payment - Choose one of several enrollment and payment options and pay online using Visa or MasterCard.
DSC provides online and phone management of your account. This lets you view a history of the calls. You can also manage the dates and times for these calls including vacation days.
Plus our service is performed automatically.
Create An eCARE Account For Medication Reminders
You can create and manage a community organization eCARE account for free using our online registration process. With this account, you can enroll seniors and other community members using various different profiles including medication reminders for under $10/month per group member:
Click on the Create eCARE Account link below.
Enter your organization's name, a valid email address along with your own password, and we will establish your eCARE account.
eCARE can now be used as your primary calling program for seniors in your community or can be a backup to any other system that is currently making these calls.
eCARE is a pay-as-you-go service and you only pay for the calls that we make.
Contact Us Today
Contact DSC to learn more about our call reminder technology products, software and services.
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