Is Polypharmacy Is Necessary

To have quality of care within the health care system, effective communication is needed. Barriers arise when effective communication is not meet, patients with limited English proficiency are at risk for misdiagnosis, poor treatment decisions, trust between provider and patient is not there, and patients to not adhere to treatment plans and follow up if they do not understand what they need to do (Regenstein, Mead, Muessig, & Huang, 2009).

Polypharmacy among the elderly is a growing concern in U.S. healthcare system. Patients who have comorbities and take multiple medications are at a higher risk for potential adverse drug reactions. There is a great need for nursing interventions in conducting a patient medication review also known as “brown bag”. As nurses obtain history data from patients at a provider visit, the nurse should ask “what medications are you taking?” and the answer needs to include over-the-counter medications as well. If the response does not include any medications other than prescribed meds, it is incumbent upon the nursing professionals to question the patient further to ensure that no over-the-counter medications or supplements are

The only goal of this meeting is to disclose the event and answer any questions the patient and/or family may have. The physician will describe what actions the hospital has taken in response to this event, any future actions that will take place, and what policies were reviewed while investigating this error. The physician and designated hospital staff member will also disclose contact information for future communications with the patient and/or family members. It is the physician’s discretion to initiate future communications and face to face meetings with the patient and/or family

If the doctor won’t pass any information to patient’s carers and families they won’t be in the loop. So if the person is confused they can’t ask them to repeat the information for them and they would feel helpless. In turn this means if the patients have got personal things to say about the carer the carer won’t find out and get hurt with emotional pain. Overall the advantage outweigh the disadvantage, the doctors should protect both individuals and should talk to the carer if the patient can’t make decisions for themselves and disoriented. Further on if the patients says hurtful things about the carer the doctor should NOT discuss that matter with the carer as it would cause further distress for them. When a doctor discuss what happens at the appointments it helps the cares how they can help the patient such as has the patient might need to take a medication the carer know when to take the medication how much and when. This would support the individual knowing the carer is there to help and this would help the carer to feel supported and very

After we received a report, we had to call doctor to clarify order on one patient, because the insulin was ordered Q4 HRS and finger sticks were ordered 4 times a day. Rasheeda called Dr.Krejci and attempted to explain the situation, but after a few minutes she just gave me the phone and stated “he does not understand, you explain”. When I completed a conversation

Polypharmacy is the use of multiple medications in one individual and usually refers to when more drugs are being taken than medically necessary. According to the article, many factors contribute to the development of polypharmacy including “new drug treatments, wider indications for older drug treatments, lower thresholds for treating risk factors in preventative medicine, and an ageing population with increased amounts of chronic illness or physical ailments” (Gorard, 2006). The elderly appear to be an especially vulnerable population to this issue and are the prime target for increased prescribing practices. Unfortunately, polypharmacy is responsible for many severe adverse drug events, drug-drug interactions, and contributes to problems with nonadherence amongst older adults.

Polypharmacy is the use of many different drugs concurrently in treating patient who often has several health problems. The growing geriatric population consumes the largest proportion of all medication than of other population groups. In Canada alone, one in three older adults takes more than 8 different drugs each day, and some take as many as 15 or more (Lilley, 2011). Polypharmacy can lead to what is known as the “prescribing cascade”, in which older adults develop adverse effects from one or more of the medications taken and the health care provider then prescribe another drug. The risk for drug interactions, adverse effects, and hospitalization is far greater in this situation. Acknowledging polypharmacy in a patients and

I would have to agree with Jasmine, because if you are elderly and exposed to polypharmacy, you would have to triple check to make sure no adverse effect would happen on any of the medication they are taking. If you are pregnant, you can't take certain medications because it could harm the baby. Young children need a parent consent before administering the medication. They need to be told it is not candy; if they are too young they might need to get it administered with an oral syringe into the mouth. Geriatric and pediatric patients would need a lower dosage due to being more susceptible to the effects of the medication. The age, weight, and height are a big factor in deciding how much medication to take. The method of administration depends

Much of the vast information that has been researched and provides evidence about polypharmacy is from an organization called the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). The NHPCO helped to support my Indirect Clinical Project. The mission statement and values are is to help lead and improve end of life care and to respect others, collaborated and exceed expectations. This organization hopes to help families and patients who are facing terminal illness to address death, and grief with the best people to help them through it (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, n.d.). This organization is committed to people at the end of life and improving their quality of life, for however long they have left. By researching and learning more

Incorrect and improper documentation can and will get the provider or clinician in legal trouble should there be a lawsuit. Moreover, improper documentation can cause an error in treatment which can hinder or be detrimental to patient's care. To avoid this risk, it is necessary to understand the factors that are contributing to the problem and take the necessary steps to avoid the risk.

This assessment impacts significantly on my understanding about Kate. This provides me far more holistic view to assess her and shows a way to create a comprehensive nursing plan. I, for example, just focused on her physical and mental conditions and her medications, and did not focus on how to effectively use other supports, including carers and community supports, such as cardiac rehabilitation programs, pulmonary rehabilitation programs (Harvard Medical School Health Publications Group 2013, p. 3). After creating the map, I recognised several unrecognised factors which are useful and accessible community support programs and potential risks, such as fall risks and the effects of polypharmacy. All of them can improve not only physical functions,

This New York Times article tells a story of overprescribing in the elderly and its consequences on quality life. As pharmacists, we are especially familiar with the physician’s tendency to overprescribe medications in elderly patients with various comorbid conditions. This article brings up a plethora of issues that are common focus points of the geriatric pharmacy course in ACPHS. The use of sedating drugs in which increase the risk of falls and debilitating hip fractures in a population that is already at a high risk for fractures (the elderly) is not only imprudent, but counterproductive to the overall heath outcomes of the patient. The article specially mentions the use of benzodiazepines which are on the BEERs criteria list of medications

Poly-pharmacy is the simultaneous utilization of numerous pharmaceuticals by a patient. Poly-pharmacy is most normal in the elderly, influencing around 40% of more seasoned grown-ups living in their own homes. Around 21% of grown-ups with scholarly handicap are additionally presented to polypharmacy. Polypharmacy isn't generally awful, however it is terrible in numerous occurrences, frequently being more destructive than accommodating or introducing excessively chance for too little advantage. In this manner, wellbeing experts think of it as a circumstance that requires observing and audit to approve whether the greater part of the solutions are as yet vital. Worries about polypharmacy incorporate expanded unfavorable medication responses,

Birhanu, this is a great topic of choice for your research paper. Polypharmacy seems to be seen most often with geriatric patients in my experience, especially in skill nursing homes. Physicians are so quick to prescribing medications instead of brainstorming other ways to resolve an issue. For example, if a patient is exhibiting some depression, instead of just prescribing an anti-depressant medication, the physician should assess the patient and investigate the reasons for their depression. Sometimes the reason could be as simple as not having the same nurse caring for them. The point is that, there are other non-medication interventions that physicians can look into before writing a prescription medication. Looking forward to reading more

In general taking medication is not my cup of tea. I rarely take any medications unless I need to. This has been influenced greatly by my culture and how I grew up. My parents do not like taking medication either. For most of childhood, medication was usually honey, garlic and ginger in hot water. I would drink this every time I was feeling unwell and I felt better almost every time. As a result, I followed my parents’ footsteps and to date I still make the same mixture and if I do not feel better, I consult my physician. Regardless, I always take my medications as prescribed by my physician. Due to my personal experience, I can relate to patients who feel as though they do not need to take medications because of their cultural background. This is why I believe it is important to ask out their medication taking experience including their cultural values that may affect the patient when caring out a patient assessment.