* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Polypharmacy: A Look into Over Medicating
Survey
Document related concepts
Specialty drugs in the United States wikipedia , lookup
Orphan drug wikipedia , lookup
Neuropsychopharmacology wikipedia , lookup
Compounding wikipedia , lookup
Polysubstance dependence wikipedia , lookup
Psychopharmacology wikipedia , lookup
Drug design wikipedia , lookup
Pharmacognosy wikipedia , lookup
Theralizumab wikipedia , lookup
Drug discovery wikipedia , lookup
Neuropharmacology wikipedia , lookup
Pharmaceutical industry wikipedia , lookup
Prescription costs wikipedia , lookup
Pharmacokinetics wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
Polypharmacy: A Look into Over Medicating By: Megan Creson What is Polypharmacy? Simultaneously taking multiple medications Found mostly within the elderly population Occurrence of Polypharmacy 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Attempting to treat multiple illnesses Attempting to control symptomatology Attempting to accelerate the onset of action or augment the effects of a preceding drug Attempting to treat phasic illnesses Attempting to prevent or treat adverse effects of other drugs 10 Steps to Reducing Polypharmacy 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Have patients “brown bag” all medications at each office visit, and keep an accurate record of all medications, including over-thecounter medication and herbs. Get into the habit of identifying all drugs by generic name and drug class. Make certain the drug being prescribed has a clinical indication. Know the side effect profile of the drugs being prescribed. Understand how pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of aging increase the risk of adverse drug events. Stop any drug without known benefit. Stop any drug without a clinical indication. Attempt to substitute a less toxic drug. Be aware of the prescribing cascade (treating an adverse drug reaction as an illness with another drug). As much as possible, use the motto, “one disease, one drug, once-aday.” Tips for Patients to minimize risk of Polypharmacy Know your medications: What are their names? Why are you taking them? How should your medications be taken? What should you do if you miss a dose? What are their most common and most serious side effects? What should you do if a problem arises?