by Eric Christianson | Jul 23, 2025 | Gastrointestinal Case Studies
I think I’ve seen this scenario play out more times than I would like. A patient is prescribed both a laxative, Senna, and Questran (cholestyramine), a medication used to manage diarrhea symptoms. This example of the prescribing cascade often presents slowly...
by Eric Christianson | Jul 16, 2025 | Polypharmacy Cases And The Prescribing Cascade
Counteracting drug effects are all too common in geriatric and polypharmacy patients. I wanted to share common examples that I’ve seen in my practice as a clinical pharmacist. NSAIDs vs. AntihypertensivesCase: A 68-year-old man with hypertension controlled on...
by Eric Christianson | May 21, 2025 | Infectious Disease and Oncology Case Studies
Nitrofurantoin is often used in patients for UTI prophylaxis. One potential concern with nitrofurantoin use is pulmonary toxicity. This can often be overlooked in patients as a potential cause of respiratory problems. Here’s a case scenario where nitrofurantoin...
by Eric Christianson | May 14, 2025 | Cardiovascular Medication and Disease State Clinical Pearls, Polypharmacy Cases And The Prescribing Cascade
Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside that has a narrow therapeutic window. Because of this, we typically monitor digoxin levels. If levels get too high, we can run into adverse effects. In some cases, particularly geriatric patients, those adverse can be misinterpreted as...
by Eric Christianson | May 4, 2025 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
The prescribing cascade occurs when a side effect of a medication is misinterpreted as a new medical condition, leading to the prescription of additional medicines that may be unnecessary and potentially harmful. In patients with dementia, this can be common due to...
