98 y/o female had a long history of seizures was treated with Dilantin (phenytoin) 100 mg twice daily. The Dilantin level was routinely drawn every 6 months and had been in the 6-10 range for quite sometime (normal total level is 10-20, but there are multiple...
Many patients and healthcare professionals may not realize that different formulations of a product can have very different pharmacokinetics. Why does pharmacokinetics matter? An 88 year old patient was receiving Namenda (memantine) 5 mg in the morning and 10 mg in...
Subjective: Middle aged, fragile and small female, presents to our out-patient pharmacy, dressed in a thick sweater and furry hat, even though the ambient temperature is in the low 70’s. The furry hat appears to not only be keeping her warm, but also covering...
I often see orders for drugs two or three times daily, and while this can be necessary, sometimes it may not be, and at what cost. Lyrica (pregabalin) is flat priced per Medi-span. What does this mean? It means that 1 capsule of 25 mg is the same cost as 1 capsule of...
Patient had a recent seizure thought to be due to not taking their Xanax over a period of a few days. The individual apparently had a seizure history in the past, but this was not clear in the medical records. This patient ended up getting hospitalized due to the...
In geriatrics, I see frequent use of acteylcholinesterace inhibitors for dementia. Some examples include: Aricept (donepezil), Exelon (rivastigmine). One of the hallmark side effects of this class of dementia drugs is GI symptoms and weight loss. Nausea, loose stools,...
