Deprescribing is an important part of care for hospice patients. The main goal of hospice care is to focus on comfort care rather than curative treatments, which means evaluating if a patient’s current medications are still indicated, effective, safe, and convenient....
In this case, I outline a unique situation involving stimulants and elderly patients. I outline some of the potential complications and contributions to the prescribing cascade. A 76-year-old female resides in an assisted living. She has a history of ADHD, anxiety,...
I have had plenty of opportunities in my career to review medications with patients and offer solutions to help reduce their pill burden. Keeping track of taking all these medications can be a full-time job for some of our patients. It is critical that we try to...
As a geriatric pharmacist, I’m always on high alert for the prescribing cascade. I outline my top 5 examples of the prescribing cascade in diabetes care in this article. Metformin and Loperamide Metformin has been the go-to first-line agent of choice for years....
Polypharmacy is something I’m extremely passionate about. In my work as a consultant pharmacist, there isn’t a much better feeling for me than eliminating medications that the patient doesn’t need. To successfully minimize polypharmacy (check out my...
I love reducing medications and tackling polypharmacy, but it needs to be done the right way. There are numerous medications you shouldn’t stop abruptly. I lay out my most important list of dangerous medications and the serious consequences that can result if...
