Quote:
Originally Posted by inthemindofanurse
Why, Why, Why do you take a medication and you don't know what it's for? Everyday I see at least one patient that doesn't know their medication list. I try to review what they are taking and it goes something like this:
Me: Are you still taking Losartan?
Patient: I'm not sure, what's that for?
Me: Blood pressure
Patient: Oh yea, I take that
Me: Are you still taking Simvastatin?
Patient?:Umm, what's that one for?
Me: Cholesterol
Patient: Ok, yes I take that
Me: Are you still taking Omeprazole?
Patient: What's another name for that?
Me: {thinks} please just stab me in the eye.
FOLKS, if you are not sure of the drugs you are putting in your body everyday as least carry a list!
|
First, let me applaud "inthemindofanurse" for starting a very informative thread.
Second: to "golfingeagles", thank you for understanding and defending home health care nurses. They spend hours and hours a day, driving and doing paperwork for which they are not compensated. And not always welcomed or respected by the patients. Our reward is seeing our patients recover and get on with their life (hopefully)
Third: to "Bonny", yes she was being dramatic, sometimes we find that is the only way to get the point across and in this case it worked. I think it opened many eyes to what is a very real problem. Just lookat the responses it generated.
Fourth: to "gomoho", Exactly!
Fifth: to "Bonnevie", yes, it is a daily encounter with our male patients: "ask the wife, she takes care of that" What happens if "wife" ends up in hospital, how do you manage then? And the wife taking care of the medications does not mean that she understands either.
A CASE IN POINT: I signed up a male patient, wife managing meds. I reviewed the meds and wrote the medication profile. Pt was being admitted for Physical Therapy. He was falling frequently, experiencing low back pain and pain/weakness in both legs, reaching a point where he could barely ambulate room to room. In going over his medications, I found he was taking Pravachol, Atorvastatin (generic), and Simvastatin (generic). These medications were ordered by a very popular Primary Care doc here in the area. And, as an RN, I do understand that it may take more than one drug of a classification to control ones cholesterol but this just did not seem right to me. I notified the physician (of the symptoms & meds), he stopped two of these drugs and the patient recovered in a very short time. Is now able to walk, ride his bicycle and has not fallen since that time.
I do not fully understand how this happens, starting with the doctor's office and progressing through the pharmacy. There was a time when a pharmacist would question a doctors prescription, if the medications are all being filled thru the same pharmacy, but that does not always happen anymore. Some patients shop around for the cheapest prices (understandably) so each pharmacist is not aware of other filled prescriptions.
I also do not know what happens to patients who are not referred to home health agencies or have very astute family members watching over them. They have no one watching over them or educating them.
Please forgive me for rambling, but I feel "inthemindofanurse" has opened some eyes by starting this thread and may alert patients that just because their "physician says so" is not always in their best interest. In this day of modern medicine you have to be very alert and responsible for what is being ordered for you. You have to take control!