Consultant pharmacists play a very important role in long term care. We often support nursing and providers in assurance that medications are used appropriate and safely in our residents. Antibiotic stewardship in long term care is an ever expanding topic and...
I get a lot of emails from pharmacists and students seeking advice on various topics. Here was a recent one that really got me thinking. The basic premise of the email below was “How to get work as a long term care consultant pharmacist?”...
I’ve spent years of my life working in and around long term care (nursing homes). The CMS F-tag, F-329 Unnecessary Medications tag is by far (in combination with F-428) the most common survey deficiency that a consultant pharmacist can help a facility avoid. The...
Just like anything, long term care has its own language. I’m going to breakdown a few of the most important acronyms and terminology that any consultant pharmacist in long term care should know. DRR or MRR. Drug regimen review (or medication regimen...
A 95 year old female has recently entered a hospice program. Whenever a patient is enrolled in hospice, it is very important to assess the medication regimen and identify medications that are no longer necessary. Quality of life is the top goal when a patient is on...
Start low and go slow is a great phrase to think about in the elderly. While this mantra shouldn’t always apply, it is very helpful to consider when working with geriatric patients. I want you to really think about “start low and go slow” and when this would and...
