SOS Rx ACTION AGENDA

1) Consumer Action - Targeting High-Risk Situations

This project will educate consumers about the risks of various products interacting with certain high-risk medications, such as warfarin. A public education campaign will target consumers taking high-risk medications and inform them that other prescription and non-prescription medications they may be taking (OTCs, dietary supplements, herbals), as well as some foods, could interact with the prescribed medication. Consumers need to be aware of the other medications they are taking and discuss possible interactions and appropriate therapy, including monitoring, with their doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional. The resulting awareness campaign approach will be a template that could be customized and used for other high-risk medication.

Experts on patient/consumer behavior, as well as patient groups, will be consulted on what types of messages will be effective. Pharmacists and providers will be consulted on the process of prescribing the targeted medication. Companies manufacturing the medication will also be consulted. Any current education initiatives will be reviewed to mitigate the likelihood of overlapping efforts. Messages will be tested by focus groups. Consumers could be reached through media, celebrity spokesperson, and point-of-refill education.

2) System Change - Clearinghouse of Safe Practices on High-Risk Situations

This project will develop a clearinghouse of safe practices for high-risk situations in the outpatient medication arena. The clearinghouse will be a comprehensive dynamic resource to which healthcare professionals can turn for guidance on safe practices to be followed when prescribing certain medications. The clearinghouse will also contain consumer-friendly versions of the safe practices. To initiate this project, NCL will convene a subgroup of coalition members and external experts to participate in a 1-day meeting to frame the scope of the project.

3) System Change - Personal Medication Record

With a personal medication record a patient is able to keep track of all medications (Rx, OTCs, herbals) he or she may be taking, regardless of the prescriber. While there are various initiatives ongoing, standards and uniformity are needed to ensure that such records are consumer-friendly, useful and easily incorporated into the health care experience. After reviewing an inventory of current initiatives on personal medication records, an expert panel will develop inclusion criteria for the records. The coalition will promote the use and adoption of the criteria by all stakeholders. In addition, a public education campaign will encourage consumers to use personal medication records.

4) System Change – Promoting E- Prescribing

This project will accelerate the adoption of E-prescribing by establishing guiding principles and applying them to the various ongoing initiatives so that an “ideal” E-prescribing model can be recognized and promoted. After initial research and discussion, a sub-group of coalition members and others will develop the parameters of an E-prescribing ideal. A media campaign will then publicize the recommendation of the coalition and educate consumers about E-prescribing.