Close to Home
/in /by Alissa PangWho knows about drugs?? Take an informal survey of family members, friends, or coworkers. Do they know the medications they take? If they don’t take medications, do they know about over the counter medications – drug/pharmacological/generic/brand names? Do they know the side effects and safe doses? What about homeopathic remedies and herbal medications? Let’s do some “close to home” education and see what happens! In class we can decide if you want to blog, voicethread, or just talk about what you found out…
Mom takes:
Glipizide (used to take Metformin) – “for my diabetes”
Simvastatin – “to control my cholesterol”
Amlodipine – “to manage my high blood pressure”
Cozaar (losartan) – “this is also for my high blood pressure”
My mom did a good job of telling me both the trade and generic names of her medications. She knew what each one was for, and even knew the actions of glipizide. However, she did not know the side effects of all her drugs. She said she’s never experienced any side effects, so she didn’t bother to look them up.
Dad takes:
Norco – “for shoulder pain” (he broke his arm and it gives him pain every once in a while)
Tramadol – “also for shoulder pain”
My dad knows the trade/generic names of the pain medications he takes, their pharmacological actions, the side effects, and safe doses. (He’s a healthcare provider and knows what’s up!)
Following this activity, I realized that my family is much more in tune with their medications and their indication for use because of my dad’s career as a healthcare provider. I work as a med tech at a retirement community and often find that many of the residents don’t really know what they are taking. Of course, they are on medication management because of their inability to manage their medication scheduling, or can’t remember to take their medications at all–but I feel that anyone taking medications should know what they are taking, what they’re for, and what side effects are associated with their medications (in case that these side effects affect normal activity). I’ve also known friends who would take Tylenol throughout the day, not realizing there is a suggested “not to exceed” or maximum dose per day due to its deleterious effects on the liver.
During my study abroad trip to Ireland this past winter, we were asked to go through the Irish pharmacies/drugstores and see how they were different from ours back in the US. We all immediately noticed that medications that were normally over the counter (like Tylenol, or Advil) were behind the counter, and required patient education from a pharmacist. I thought this was both weird and interesting, but coming back and thinking about it I realize the importance of patient education–even for OTC drugs.
Medication Education
/in /by Ashley TegleyMy family is fairly well educated and able to search out the information they need when self-administering. However, there are still typically gaps in knowledge due to a lack of understanding of foundational aspects of pharmacology and pathophysiology. I have one family member who is on many medications, and she is actually highly motivated to educate herself; she knows most of her medications fairly well. However, there are certain aspects of which she is not aware and so I’m careful to ask her questions pretty regularly about which medications and doses she is taking currently. Some months ago, her physician changed some of her meds and forgot to add a potassium sparing diuretic to her medication regimen, which includes Lasix and Digoxin…and her labs that week indicated K+ of 3.4. Since she was not aware of the implications regarding potassium, I had the opportunity to educate her on signs of hypokalemia and Digoxin toxicity, and on the need to supplement her diet with potassium until her physician came back from vacation and could correct her medication regimen.
In terms of homeopathic and “natural/herbal” medications, I find that even my friends/family who are knowledgeable about the broad spectrum of supplements do not base their beliefs on evidence, but simply what is reported by respected individuals or magazines; there is a strong media influence on adoption of these supplements into a person’s lifestyle. They are especially not aware of the act that these natural supplements can interact with most medications, the most serious of which include the anticoagulants and anticonvulsants. I have also found that this is the most difficult education in terms of meeting resistance. Some of my family members will keep using homeopathic medications despite my explanations.
In conclusion, in addition to educating our patients in the facility, there is a need for us to ensure that those closest to us are practicing caution with the medications needed for their health. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a resource to my family and friends in this way; even if I do not know the answer, I know where to find a good source that can offer an explanation.
Are we there yet?
/in /by Sean AndersonI have been craving all the food Sean told us about since last week! See you all in the morning!
Medication Knowledge
/in /by Autumn MoonSo after interviewing my friends and family I realized many of them are unaware of the medication that they take. The individuals who were most aware were my parents and in laws. I’m not sure if it is an age reason, or the fact that they take daily medication for comorbidities such as hypertension and cancer. Not only did they know the name of the medication they were taking, but they also knew dosing and side effects. The people closer to my own age however were very unaware about the medications they take. Most of the people I asked do not take anything on a regular basis, but when asked about common over the counter medicines, many of them were naive to the side effects and correct dosing. To be totally honest, even my own husband has no idea how much Tylenol to take. When he is sick I have to remind him to check labels on cold medicine so he doesn’t consume too much acetaminophen. This is an issue nurses must be aware of though, and we must know the right questions to ask to assess the history of our patients. In regards to homeopathic medications, I know that many of the individuals who use these remedies do not know that side effects are common and should be anticipated. I have never checked the label on homeopathic remedies, but I would hope that side effects are listed somewhere on the container for consumers to access.
Knowledge is Power
/in /by Molly AguirreWhen it comes to my family, my step-dad is the only one that takes prescription medications. He has hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Prior to this assignment, I was even unsure what he was taking so it was interesting for me to ask him. Here is a recap of what was said:
Me: “Do you know what medication/s you are taking?”
Ray: “Yeeeea, ummm- let me walk into the bathroom and look at it.”
Me: “Would you recognize it if I said it, or have you never looked at the label?”
Ray: “No, I would recognize it, it’s fairly new becuase the last one I was on didn’t have a generic version so it was super expensive. Ok, its Benicar HCT.
Me: “Do you know what that is or what that means?”
Ray: “Yea, I did ask my doctor and from what I understand, it’s a heart medication with a diruetic to get rid of some of the fluids in my body.”
Me: “Wow, I am impressed. That is right.”
Ray: “Well honey, I only am on one medication. If I was on more than one, I would most likely mix them all up and have no idea what is what!”
Me: “See, that’s the problem that most people face….”
So, my stepdad passed my test! I was actually impressed becasuse he isn’t really the kind of guy that would care too much about the medication he is on. He is more of a “do what the doctor says and don’t ask questions” sort of guy. I thought his comment on him only knowing the medication because it is only on one was interesting. As I told him, that is a major issue with non-compliance today. People have so many prescriptions, they can’t keep them all straight and because of that, the desire to maintain their treatment because they “know” why they need the medication falls to the wayside. Then, they are back in the hospital- a trend that is happening far to often in America. This emphasis once again, the importance of patient education.
