Blister Packaging Medication to Increase Treatment Adherence and Clinical Response: Impact on Suicide-Related Morbidity and Mortality

This quantitative, interview-based study will determine if increased prescription medication adherence via blister pack administration will reduce suicide related behavior among the high risk population of patients discharged from a psychiatric inpatient unit. The aims of the project are to determine whether blister packaging medication significantly increases treatment adherence and if blister packaging significantly decreases intentional self-poisoning behavior (i.e., suicide attempts and completions). By tracking former psychiatric inpatients for 12 months post-discharge and obtaining monthly medication adherence ratings, we will determine if blister packaging (BP) medications leads to better adherence than dispensing as usual (DUA). The psychiatric patients we will be recruiting have been diagnosed with, major affective disorder, bipolar affective disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or schizophrenia (or any combination of these diagnoses). By tracking former psychiatric patients for 12 months post-discharge and obtaining monthly reports (self-report and medical record review) of suicide-related behaviors, we will determine if patients in the BP condition have less intentional self-poisoning behavior than those in the DAU condition.