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Who knows your WHOLE regimen of medicine?

Posted on by Michelle Fritsch, Pharm.D.
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Let your doctors and pharmacist know your WHOLE regimen.

Which of your providers or pharmacists knows your WHOLE regimen of your medicines? When you go to your doctor you are likely asked about the medications you take. Some practices will ask you to include that information on a piece of paper on a clipboard in the waiting room. Some will hand you a computer with a list of questions that include your medicines. Still others will have the person checking you in ask you about your medications.

Do you take a list of all of your medications with you to the doctor?

Your doctor needs to know the names, the strength, the dose, and exactly how you take each medication.

Rather than try to memorize and remember all of this, make a list before you leave home.

  • Some people take pictures of each medication label and keep them in their phone.
  • Some people use the ‘Medical ID’ app on their smartphone.
  • Some people keep a list printed and in their wallet where it can be easily found by emergency personnel if needed.

Do you include all medicines prescribed by all doctors?

Many of the people I meet think their doctors talk to one another and coordinate their care. Although this is the desire of your doctors, it often does not happen. Your doctors and other providers find it hard to catch up with one another. Even if they work for the same health-system, important details and explanations are often not shared.

  • Include all medications coming from all of your doctors on your list.
  • Don’t assume one doctor explained the latest changes to the other doctors.

Do you include all of the medicines and other substances you take?

All of the substances you take have the potential to interact with each other. This means they can be dangerous when combined. If no one knows each substance you take, then those interactions cannot be checked.  It is important to have a thorough screen of your WHOLE regimen.

Include these items even if you only take them once in awhile.

I highly encourage you to include all of these on your written list.

  • Over-the-counter pain medicine (e.g. Tylenol, ibuprofen, Aleve, aspirin)
  • Stomach ache or acid reflux medicine
  • Headache medicine
  • Allergy medication
  • Eye drops
  • Nose sprays
  • Cold, flu, congestion medicines
  • Constipation or diarrhea medicines
  • Medicated creams or ointments
  • Vitamins
  • Supplements
  • Herbal therapies
  • Marijuana
  • Illicit drugs (at least tell your doctor about these)

I am finding that the people who make the decisions about your prescription medicines do not know all of these important facts. The over-the-counter, herbal, vitamin, and other substances can have side effects, cause problems, and interact just as prescription medications can.

Consider all of these to be MEDICATIONS! Let your doctors and pharmacist know your entire list – your whole regimen!

For more information about the importance of your complete medication list, or for a detailed review of your medication list, please contact us at www.medsmash.com.

BIBLICAL APPLICATION

Just as there are a variety of medications that may be needed for overall health, there are a variety of things we need to include in our lives for our spiritual health. What are the components of your spiritual life?

In what ways do you acknowledge, praise, worship, study, talk with, share, enjoy, and spend time with God?

I liken the prescription medications from your primary doctor to Sunday worship and owning a Bible.

The specialist medications are like the Bible study, Sunday School, and other special short term studies.

What about the components that you choose for yourself from the smorgasbord of options? Do you include prayer, worship music, contemporary Christian music, daily devotions, meditation, accountability partners, online resources, or other choices?

Do you select a wide variety of options?

Do you stick to one or two?

Do you limit yourself to the Sunday morning selections?

Colossians 3:12-17 (MSG) gives several ideas about the many ways you can keep God active in your life.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

There are so many ways you can get to know God better. Even if you have been studying and worshipping for decades, there is more to learn and more love to experience.

Then there is prayer. There is real power in prayer.

James 5:13-16 (ESV)

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Prayer that acknowledges God and His will and timing can do great things. Never overlook the power of prayer.

It is my hope this has inspired you to add some more elements to your daily walk with God. The God who created the Universe and who loves you beyond measure looks forward to each and every remedy you select to stay close to Him and know Him better.

Blessings,

Michelle

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Know before you decide

Posted on by Michelle Fritsch, Pharm.D.

What is a tmedication-sliderhorough medication evaluation? Would you benefit from one? Don’t other people already
evaluate your medications on a regular basis? Do you worry about hurting someone’s feelings if there is a difference of opinion about your medication regimen?

You likely have several different healthcare providers – your primary care doctor, any nurse practitioners or physician assistants in that office, your specialist doctor(s), your local pharmacist, and maybe a chiropractor, physical therapist dietician, and others. Surely between all of them someone is providing you with a very thorough evaluation of your medications?

Do you take anything for a cold? Or a stomachache? Or to help you sleep? Or for pain?

Do you tell your healthcare providers about these things you take only once in awhile?

Do you take vitamins or supplements or herbal therapies that you select for yourself? Do you tell your healthcare providers about these?

Do you always take your medications at the same time every day? What do you do when you forget to take them? Do you take some of them only when you feel like you need them? Have you ever stopped taking a medication without telling your providers?

A thorough medication evaluation will cover all of these things. Our research has shown that in 98% of visits there is at least one thing that you didn’t know about your medication that you really should know.

As a clinical pharmacist, I am looking at all of your prescribed medications and other substances you take to assure none of these nine problems exist:

  • Each dose is not too high (You have more side effects than needed or even have toxicity.)
  • Each dose is not too low (You take it but it doesn’t work for you.)
  • All conditions that should be treated with a medication are being treated with the best medication(s) based on current medical studies.
  • Each medication you take is actually necessary. (Sometimes there are medications that have been on your list for a long time but no one remembers why.)
  • No medications interact with each other making your health worse. Also, your diet and supplements don’t interact with your other medications or each other.
  • You are able to obtain and take each prescribed medication. (Sometimes pills are too big, inhalers are hard to use, eye drops are hard to get into the eye, or medications are too expensive or not covered by insurance.)
  • None of your medications for one condition make another condition worse.
  • You are able to safely take all of your medications. Allergies and medication intolerances will be reviewed and clarified for your healthcare team.
  • You are taking each medication at the optimal time in relation to food, other medications, and potential side effects.

Clinical pharmacists have extensive training specific to all aspects of medications and how they work., more than any other health professional. Often, having a clinical pharmacist working with the rest of your providers will further assure that all of your medication use is necessary, safe, and effective.

For more information about a thorough medication assessment, contact www.medsmash.com.

Biblical Application

Just like medication intended for good can sometimes actually cause harm, are there elements of our spiritual lives that can be more harmful than good?

There are many interpretations of the content of the Bible. There are many preachers and teachers and blogs and radio programs and television programs and articles written.

Are they all true and accurate?

How do you determine what to believe and what to implement in your life?

Jesus, Paul, John, and others warned us about false teachers and the importance of discernment. Well, that sounds good, but how do you actually do it?

First, here is what the Bible says.

1 John 4:1 (MSG)

My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world.

John 7:24 ESV

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.

Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Discernment might sound difficult or only for those with advanced theological training, but the Bible encourages us to pray about it. When you hear or read something that you’re not sure about, pray and ask God to guide you. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit is with us at all times.

Matthew 28:20 ESV

Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Joshua 1:9 ESV

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

(And there are several more such verses throughout the Old and New Testament).

Let God lead you with discernment and love.

Blessings,

Michelle