The statistics about medications and falls are pretty clear. The more medications, the more chance of falls. This is as true in stroke survivors as anybody else.
But stroke survivors automatically have two additional things going against them:
1. They are usually on more medications
2. They are more likely to fall in the first place
But there are other reasons to reconsider medications. In 2008 almost 2,000,000 people became ill or injured because of the use of prescription drugs. These are from "medication errors."
1. They are usually on more medications
2. They are more likely to fall in the first place
But there are other reasons to reconsider medications. In 2008 almost 2,000,000 people became ill or injured because of the use of prescription drugs. These are from "medication errors."
So how do you go about reconsidering medications? The "Brown Bag Medication Review." And you should do it. (My favorite line: “Out of 10-15 brown bag reviews, only 2 were accurate.”) About 50% of the time the meds will, in some way, be wrong.
The idea is you throw all your medications in a brown paper bag.
The idea is you throw all your medications in a brown paper bag.
In the bag should be...
- All prescription medicines (including pills and creams).
- All over-the-counter medicine they take regularly.
- All vitamins and supplements.
- All herbal medicines.
All medications are placed on the counter in the exam room. The physician or pharmacist, with your help, decides which meds to keep, which to pitch and which dosages to tweak. Also decided...
• Tips for safe and effective medication use
• Answers to your questions about medications
• Answers to your questions about medications
Once the whole thing is figured out you are given a card that has all the information on it. This information would be available for you to review, and for you to hand to doctors, dentists, etc. who may need to know your medications at a glance.
5 comments:
wich - A variant of 1st wick.
1. A cord or strand of loosely woven, twisted, or braided fibers, as on a candle or oil lamp, that draws up fuel to the flame by capillary action.
Pete, only survivors are allowed to do this.
Thanks Dean, corrected, although I was tempted to just keep it with your explanation because funny trumps most everything.
The "More Info" link on the page is broken (404 page for webmaster). Below is a link for the updated page on Ohiohospital.org's site.
Cheers,
Cliff
http://ohiohospitals.org/Patient-Safety-Quality/Ohio-Patient-Safety-Institute-OPSI/Professional-Resources/Medication-Safety.aspx
The "More Info" link on this page is broken (404 page for webmaster). Below is a working link for the updated page on Ohiohospital.org's site.
Cheers,
Cliff
http://ohiohospitals.org/Patient-Safety-Quality/Ohio-Patient-Safety-Institute-OPSI/Professional-Resources/Medication-Safety.aspx
I fixed the link based on your suggestion Cliff, thank you!!
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