3 Steps of a Medication Review
If you operate a group home, nursing home, or any facility that delivers healthcare to residents, it’s essential to review each patient’s medical chart on a routine basis. Residents, especially older ones, are often susceptible to complications stemming from incorrect or inappropriate medication prescribing.
According to the CDC, older patients are twice as likely to suffer medication-based harm than younger patients. They also experience roughly 450,000 Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) yearly due to medication complications.
Medication Reviews Protect Patients
Why is inappropriate medication prescribing such a common occurrence among older patients? They often fail to receive thorough medication reviews. During a review, professionals like those at Angus Lake Pharmacy track what your patients are taking to discover issues like duplicate prescriptions, unnecessary prescriptions, or prescriptions that can be harmful.
A Medication Review in 3 Steps
Your pharmacist will perform a medication review in 3 simple steps:
Step 1: Examine the Medications List
Your pharmacist will look at all the medications your patient is currently taking to find medicines that are:
- Expired
- Ineffective
- Problematic
- Similar or duplicated
Step 2: Speak with the Patient
Every patient is different and may react uniquely to certain medications they are prescribed. Your pharmacist may ask your patient questions regarding:
- Current side effects
- Symptoms or complications that each prescription is treating
- Overall health
Step 3: Making Revisions
Based on the discoveries made after reviewing your patient’s chart and discussing current health conditions with them, your pharmacist can suggest changes to the regimen to help improve health, costs, and overall outcomes for your patient.
Medication reviews are not a one-and-done event. They must be routinely performed to ensure the safety and care of every patient at your facility.
Would you like to protect your patients and facility with thorough, detailed medication reviews? Partner with Angus Lake Healthcare today.
Angus Lake Healthcare provides medication reviews for all residents in your facility, from nursing homes to assisted living facilities, group homes, correctional facilities, and more. Call us about your medication review needs today: 478-233-1828.
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