الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Some basic prescribing principles include: • Evaluate the drug regimen of long term care residents on each regulatory visit. o Ensure there is a reason (diagnosis) for every medication the patient is receiving. o Determine whether each medication has led to a significant improvement in this patient. If not, consider discontinuing or changing. o Evaluate if non-pharmacological treatments been tried for the diagnosis o Is the patient on the right medications for that condition based on current guidelines? o Assess the risks and benefits of each medication in the context of the individual patient • Medication reconciliation at admission, readmission, transfer and discharge. • Check for drug-drug, drug-disease and drug-food interactions. Include over the counter (OTCs), eye drops, topical, homeopathic/alternative remedies and nutritional supplements. • Always consider potential interactions with other medications, especially warfarin, phenytoin, and antibiotics. • Assess for side effects, specifically orthostatic hypotension, increased confusion, unsteadiness, falls, nausea, anorexia, constipation, depression, anxiety. • Start low, go slow, but go all the way to achieve therapeutic benefit. |