A 71-year-old male with a history of BPH had developed a head cold. His current medications include finasteride and tamsulosin. He tried some loratadine for a day or two for his rhinitis which he decided did not help. At this point, he was already getting a little...
In long term care consulting, learning how to review and interpret medical records is an absolute must. It can also be incredibly helpful in other settings such as ambulatory care, community, assisted living, and hospital pharmacy. I’ve got three examples for...
Just like adding medications can lead to adding more medications (prescribing cascade), we can think of this strategy in reverse in an attempt to try to stop polypharmacy. Stopping medications can lead to stopping more medications. Let me provide you with some proof!...
On a previous post, I laid out some strategies to reduce medication use. As a consultant pharmacist who has worked extensively in long term care and assisted living, I am routinely asked if we can reduce someone’s medications. Reducing medications is something I...
In geriatrics, we put a premium on trying to simplify medication use. As a consultant pharmacist who has worked extensively in long term care and assisted living, I am routinely asked if we can reduce someone’s medications. Reducing medications is something I...
Pharmacists spend a ton of time authorizing, clinically reviewing, and verifying prescriptions. We also spend time reviewing what information we have about a patient. Unfortunately, in a community pharmacy type setting, a diagnosis is often not given on the...