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Does Credentialing Really Matter?
I had a doctor a year or two ago ask for my input (off the record) on a patient that she was struggling with. Coumadin and INR management was the issue. I think I recall the term "roller coaster"...
The Diuretic Effect
An 81 year old gentleman was struggling with CHF symtpoms. Fluid overload was the problem with difficulty breathing secondary to increased edema/CHF symptoms. His Lasix was increased from 20 mg...
The 10 Commandments of Polypharmacy
I work with patients, nurses, doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals everyday who struggle with medication management. One of the biggest problems I run into is polypharmacy. Ten,...
Medication Mistakes can be Stepping Stones to Better Care
Ever made a mistake? I have. I will never forget that feeling - it's awful. I was reviewing a patient's medication list and noted that the patient was struggling with the costs of their medications....
Anemia and Iron Supplementation
A patient had some blood loss during a surgery - very common. The patient's hemoglobin dropped from about 12.5 to 9.8 and the prescriber wanted to improve that hemoglobin back to baseline prior to...
Witty Old Man Seeking Viagra
We all know that Viagra (sildenafil) is used for erectile dysfunction (most of the time), but this elderly patient was seeking it for an off label use. This gentleman was frequently asking his...
Statin Induced Myopathy
A patient was admitted for a rehab stay at a long term care facility. They chief complaint was weakness and muscle achiness that would not resolve. While looking back at the patient history and...
Dose and Drug Matter – Anticholinergic Effects
An elderly patient was on Zyrtec (cetirizine) 10 mg at betime for allergies and was also on Ditropan (oxybutynin) 15 mg three times daily for urinary incontinence. Ditropan is one of those classic...
Diagnosis: Polypharmacy – Case study
I can't help but smile when providers dictate that a patient has a diagnosis of polypharmacy. Let's cure that condition! These case studies are kind of challenging because you could go a few...
Pharmacist Provider Status – Where are we Headed?
I played a ton of baseball growing up and I want to use a baseball analogy to help describe where I feel we are at in this process. Tie ballgame, there's two outs in the 9th, runner on third. You've...
Study Materials For Pharmacists
