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How to Avoid the Dangers of Poor Medication Management
8/25/2011 11:55:02 AM
When a sudden illness strikes or someone is in severe pain, it can be difficult to stay completely organized during the transition from home to hospital or the reverse. The result can be life-threatening medication interactions when new and old medicines are combined improperly.
“We have had patients readmitted because of
miscommunication about their medications,” said David Craig, PharmD and
Pharmacist Lead for the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. “It’s a
big issue as people transition from in patient to out patient or just transition within the hospital.”
The Joint Commission,
an independent not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies
more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United
States, estimates that over 76 million Americans suffer from pain. This
pain can be chronic or acute, such as post-surgical
pain. As doctors and pharmacists address pain management, crucial
information can fall between the cracks for those who are seeking
relief.
“We see people coming to us who have mismanaged their
medicine and become toxic or worse,” said Carol Sampaio, RN and
administrator of Homewatch CareGivers serving Volusia-Flagler County in Florida.
Ms.
Sampaio said that people can have allergic reactions to medications,
the incorrect dosage of medications and bad medication interaction. “We
want one plus one to equal two, not three or four or five,” she said.
Homewatch CareGivers provides home care for all ages and After Care Services
that include medication management to help patients avoid things like
insulin shock, breathing difficulties, and other reactions to medication
mix-ups. These specialists can come to the home and organize
medications as well as help create medication lists for optimum home
health.
“We can manage their medications at home and that can
keep them out of the hospital or the nursing home,” said Ms. Sampaio.
“And that’s where most of our clients want to be—at home.”
According to Mr. Craig and other experts, several problems can occur as people try to self-manage their medications:
First: It is easy to become confused over brand names and generic names,
leaving patients in the dark as to whether they are taking a double dose
of the same medicine or adding a new medicine.
Second: Patients might
know which medicines they already have at home, but cannot remember how
much is left and therefore will be prescribed too much or not enough of
a new medicine. This can lead to “double-dipping” with a patient
combining two or more pain relievers or other medicines.
Third: People may not remember where their medicines are and therefore not be able to provide doctors or pharmacists with an accurate list or history of their medications.
Mr.
Craig said that privacy laws prevent the various entities (different
doctor specialists) from being able to communicate instantly about a
patient’s medication history. “There are safety concerns,” he said. Mr.
Craig along with the Joint Commission recommends that patients create a
medication list.
Homewatch CareGivers
can provide assistance in cataloguing all of the necessary
medicines—including both prescription and over-the-counter drugs—which
should also include vitamins, natural remedies and many other
supplements. Having a list like this to provide doctors and pharmacists
can help ensure that new medications will be safe.
“We can help
clients manage how they administer their medications,” said Ms. Sampaio.
“We can go in and help people organize their pill boxes so that they
can take their medicines when they are supposed to.”
More About Homewatch CareGivers
Homewatch CareGivers is a premier
caregiver agency, providing
home care for all ages. We invite you to visit
www.homewatchcaregivers.com, where you can read articles related to
home health,
Dementia Care Tips and
home care news; or download PDF
home care resources.
From health care coordination and hospital discharge planning to home
care transportation and daily living assistance, let our family of
caregivers care for yours.
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