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This page/column contains information which may be of interest to consumers. The information is based on articles which appear in Australian Prescriber. As Australian Prescriber is written for health professionals, you should discuss any issues raised by this page/column with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to give a more detailed answer to your questions by reading the main article.
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Australian Prescriber Vol. 29 No. 3 2006
Hospital discharge summaries
When patients go home after a stay in hospital, there should be a discharge summary. This tells the patient's doctor what treatment the hospital has given. It should include a list of the medicines the patient needs to continue.
At the moment, discharge summaries can be inaccurate and they may not be delivered before the patient attends their doctor or pharmacist. These problems might be overcome in future if discharge summaries are sent to the doctor by confidential electronic mail.
