Significance Of Giving Medication Guidance To Patients
Patients can easily make mistakes with their medications and statistics clearly demonstrate it. Every minute, several Americans call poison control to get help with medication mistakes. As per recent data, serious medication mistakes are on the rise and some of the mistakes can lead to a hospital stay. Medication mistakes may be inevitable but having proper medication education can help reduce the likelihood of mistakes.
Clinicians may focus on the following areas of medication education to help reduce medication mistakes.
Purpose Of the Medicine
Make sure that the patient understands what the medication is intended to treat while prescribing a new medication. This will ensure that patients take the medication properly, and is particularly important in the case of prescription medications that are used to treat symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and headache.
Quantities And Name
Rather than writing a prescription, you can say the name of the medication that you are prescribing and make the patient repeat the same. You may also discuss the quantities of the medication with the patient. These steps can let patients understand if their pharmacy makes a mistake while filling the prescription.
Effects And Side Effects
It is important to discuss with the patients the effects and the potential side effects of the medication. This will let people understand if a medication is working properly or not. In addition, it will allow patients to understand the undesired effects of medications that might require intervention.
Warnings
It is important to ensure that patients understand what they should not do or avoid while taking a medication. This can include avoiding driving and drinking alcohol. Explain the necessity of avoiding the things while reviewing medication warnings. Some of us may be naturally inclined to ignoring warnings, and by offering more details the seriousness of the warning may hit home effectively.
Instructions
When people do not follow the instructions of prescription medication, they are at the risk of experiencing under or overdosing. Encourage patients to review medication instructions before taking new medicines. Remind them of the significance of having the exact dose prescribed and using the measuring devices provided with liquid medications.
Responding To Side Effects
Any medication can lead to side effects and patients should have an idea about the common side effects associated with a medication. In addition, they should know what to do when they experience the side effects of medications. Therefore, let patients know what to do when they experience any side effects of medications.