Hi! My name is Tim (@IDstewardship, http://bit.ly/TimothyGauthier) and I am a pharmacist with advanced training in the field of infectious diseases & antimicrobial stewardship. Eric (@Mededucation101) was nice enough to ask me to contribute to his blog! My...
A huge challenge in clinical pharmacy is determining what information is actually relevant. By relevant, I mean what information actually impacts patient care. I see gabapentin most frequently used for neuropathy. The pharmacokinetics of gabapentin are a little...
TCA’s in the elderly are generally discouraged especially for symptoms of sleep and depression. There are a lot of other options to consider for treatment of both of these issues before TCA’s. While I’m not going to tell you what is ALWAYS right or...
I think most of you who follow the blog know I spend most of my time dealing with polypharmacy and geriatrics. I’m going to use the example of ACE Inhibitors in CHF to demonstrate my point. Every now and then, I will see patients who have a history of CHF and...
In my practice as a clinical pharmacist, I see the use of fentanyl patches on pretty much a daily basis. I’ve seen numerous mistakes with fentanyl patches and wanted to put together a list of 5 dangerous mistakes. In no particular order: 1. Fentanyl patches...
81 year old female at a long term care facility with a history of dementia related behaviors. Whenever you hear dementia related behaviors, do not jump to conclusions. Define the behaviors first. This particular patient refused medications at times, refused...
