In this polypharmacy case study, I pick out some medications that we may be able to discontinue. An 88-year-old male is looking to reduce his medication burden. Current medications include: Aspirin 81 mg dailyFurosemide 10 mg dailyKCL 10 meq dailyOmeprazole 20 mg...
An 81-year-old patient is complaining of cramps in his legs which are particularly bothersome at night. He also states that he gets a creepy/crawly sensation in both of his legs. He was initiated on ropinirole 0.5 mg at bedtime with a diagnosis of restless legs. After...
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...
