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Survey of medication history of patients with stroke after discharge from an acute hospital ward: a case series study

Fukuda Y, Ito R, Kakihana M, Takahashi T, Kanemoto T, Sahara T, Tsujikawa M, Onda M

Journal of pharmaceutical health care and sciences, 2025

42 participants · 1 citation

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of death, reducing disability-free life expectancy. After acute treatment, patients require rehabilitation to prevent recurrence. Continued use of medication is crucial for recurrence prevention and risk management, even after the transition from acute-care institutions to other medical institutions. Although "discharge summaries on medications" are shared between hospitals and community pharmacists, no reports have addressed medication continuity for patients with stroke transferred to other institutions after discharge. This study aimed to clarify medication continuity, particularly for medications adjusted during hospitalization that should be continued even after discharge, by investigating the medication use histories of patients with stroke transferred from acute care hospitals to outpatient hospitals.

Methods: We enrolled patients who were discharged from an acute ward between June 11, 2022, and March 31, 2023, after receiving inpatient care at the Japan Community Healthcare Organization, Hoshigaoka Medical Center for acute stroke, and transferred to other outpatient hospitals. This study was conducted between June 2022 and April 2023. We extracted and assessed prescription continuity and carefully examined clinically relevant discrepancies after comparing the discharge prescription with that at the first outpatient visit.

Results: Of the 42 patients enrolled, seven (16.7%) had one or more discrepancies involving 13 medications.…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health. Reported size: 42 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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