Introduction
Medication non-adherence is any deviation from the prescribed medication regimen which is sufficient to influence adversely the regimen’s intended effect. Quality healthcare outcomes always depend upon patients' adherence to recommended treatment regimens by healthcare providers. However, medication non adherence has become a significant issue as patients choose to stop taking or alter their prescribed medication without knowledge of healthcare providers. This is especially high risk for those with chronic condition and complex drug regimens. Medical non-adherence among patient can be a pervasive threat to health and wellbeing, which leads to poor treatment outcome, and subsequent hospitalization. Apart from that, it carries economic burden to healthcare system and their resources.
Patients at home are found to be more vulnerable to medication non- adherence as they live in environment without supervision of healthcare providers as compared to those in the hospitals and are often overlooked by health care systems. While no single intervention strategy can improve the adherence of all patients, several measures can be taken to detect patient non-adherence, thereby
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Direct methods include direct observation, measurement of biomarkers or measurement of biological assay of body fluid. Indirect methods can be objective, such as self-report or interview, pill and container counts and use of mechanical or electronic devices. Each method has its own pros and cons and there is no standard method for detection. In general, direct methods have greater sensitivity and specificity as compared to indirect methods. However the most recent innovated tools for detection are computerized compliance monitors from indirect detection methods. After all, combination of both direct and indirect methods will maximize the
If you hang around in healthcare long enough, eventually your paths will cross with a non-compliant patient, which for the record is not the same as non-adherence patient. A non-compliant patient is defined as; “patient behaviors” that frequently interferes with the effectiveness of treatment for a variety of medical conditions and can have serious medical consequences. While non-adherence is, simply doing medial tasks incorrectly and overtime may jeopardize a patient's outcome.
Polypharmacy among the elderly is a growing concern in U.S. healthcare system. Patients who have comorbities and take multiple medications are at a higher risk for potential adverse drug reactions. There is a great need for nursing interventions in conducting a patient medication review also known as “brown bag”. As nurses obtain history data from patients at a provider visit, the nurse should ask “what medications are you taking?” and the answer needs to include over-the-counter medications as well. If the response does not include any medications other than prescribed meds, it is incumbent upon the nursing professionals to question the patient further to ensure that no over-the-counter medications or supplements are being consumed. This is also an opportunity for the nurse to question about any adverse reactions the patient may be experiencing resulting from medications. Polypharmacy can result from patients having multiple prescribers and pharmacies, and patients continuing to take medications that have been discontinued by the physician. Nurses are in a unique position to provide early detection and intervention for potentially inappropriate medications and its associated adverse drug reactions.
Medication compliance means; weather patient takes their medication as prescribed. Habit of medication noncompliance grow specially when patients are at home during a self-care. Behavior of taking medication is complex and it requires multiple functional strategies to improve a medication compliance. This paper is about problems and solutions for medication compliance. The solutions for medication compliance are education before medication, using reminder tools, use of compliance promoting packaging and taking help of family and friends.
Polypharmacy among the elderly is a growing concern in U.S. healthcare system. Elderly who have comorbities and take multiple medications are at a higher risk for potential adverse drug reactions. Elderly who take over-the-counter medications, herbs, and supplements without consulting their physician are at risk for adverse reactions associated with polypharmacy. Polypharmacy can result from patients having multiple prescribers and pharmacies, and patients who continue to take medications which have been discontinued by the physician. There is a great need for nursing interventions regarding polypharmacy, including medication reviews also known as “brown bag”. As nurses obtain history data and conduct a patient assessment, it is essential to review the patients’ medications and ask open-ended questions regarding all types of medications in which the patient is taking. In addition, the patient assessment is also an opportunity for the nurse to inquire about any adverse reactions the patient may be experiencing resulting from medications. Nurses are in a unique position to provide early detection and intervention for potentially inappropriate medications and its associated adverse drug reactions.
The geriatric population is rapidly growing as individuals continue to benefit from medical advances and pharmaceutical treatments. A large number of this population will need to take some form of medication to maintain a functional lifestyle. Multiple medications can affect the elderly population differently than younger generations. This paper will discuss how polypharmacy impacts geriatrics and the will focus specifically on analgesics and antihistamines. It will also examine demographic factors, changes within the aging body, prescription and nonprescriptive medications, and the role of the nurse practitioner when caring for these patients.
The purpose of methadone is to help clients control their urges for addiction and withdrawal symptoms for a better future. From listening to the charge nurse, there could actuality be a possibility to help patients who are addicted to opioids, manage their lives and create a better future without dependency or addiction. Many clients start off on the wrong foot, but through the help of the methadone clinic, many patients continue to live their lives to the fullest. Methadone management has helped many clients discover their purpose in society and to function adequately.
Dowden et al., (2013) stated that relapse prevention should be applied no only with drug users, but relapse prevention should also be applied within the treatment of the general offender populations whenever possible. Historically, relapse prevention has been used with substance abusers, sexual offenders, and bi-polar individuals. Thus, Dowden et al., (2013) is stating that relapse prevention when applied to the treatment of drug dealers could be effective in reducing recidivism. Relapse prevention may possibly be able to alter the drug dealers perceptions of their reward system, allow drug dealers to learn skills that will allow them to recognize high-risk situations, solve problems and learn skills to cope with monetary issues rather than
Medication Adherence Clinical Reference - American College of Preventive Medicine. (2011, January 1). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://www.acpm.org/?MedAdherTT_ClinRef#Statistics
Omission of medications is a common issue in the field of nursing. When patients miss their scheduled dosage of medication, it can cause harm. Nurses take an oath to do no harm to their patients. When a nurse purposely omits a medication, they are not properly acting within their nurse’s scope of practice. A nurse cannot make the decision to hold a medication based on ones believes, because they were interrupted, or because of time constraints. “The administration of medications is a major part of the role of the clinical nurse and is an activity prone to error” (Johnson, Tran, & Young, 2011 p. 553).
For many patients the scariest part of being in the hospital is having to rely on other people to control their life changing decisions. There are multiple causes of patient harm, one of the major contributors are medication errors made by health care professional. Medication errors are inappropriate dispensing and administration of drugs which cause harmful effects such liver damage and excessive bleeding. Most cases of medication errors in hospitals occur as a result of wrong diagnosis by the doctors leading administration of inappropriate drug, poor communication between doctors and nurses and between patients and nurses who issue the drugs. However in an article by the International Journal of Nursing practice, in Australia many occurrences
Inappropriate drug use causes loss of responsibility, illnesses, marriage difficulties, shorter life spans, financial struggles, theft, accidents, lack of parenting, bad role models and more laws. Now I’m not saying all the problems are only do to drugs and if there was appropriate drug use our society would be perfect, no I’m saying drug use in our society has made an impact and in this case not for the better. The cost of inappropriate drug use to society is something that many overlook and others simply don’t care to recognize
...such a hard disease to fight. That’s why it is important for family members or friends to stand by their loved ones if they are suffering from drug addiction. It may make all the difference in the end.
Drug use has been around since the B.C. era and will continue until the extinction of man. Humans have a history of using drugs that affect the mind and vision and that aspect of humanity still continues to this day. “Since the dawn of history, mankind has found ways to relieve the daily grind of life.” The earliest known use of drugs dates back to the ancient city of Mesopotamia where the farming of wheat and barley came a product known as beer. The ancient Mesopotamians would indulge on the beer and get drunk creating a problem with alcoholics for the ancient city. This is not uncommon to see, mankind has always had an experimental side. If it wasn’t for that experimental side civilization would not be where it is today. Humans used drugs in the past in the medical field, such as cocaine to alleviate toothaches, or opium which was also cultivated by the Mesopotamians as a relaxing plant. Even ancient Greece used a special mixture of beer to induce hallucinations, or they would also partake in using opium to stimulate their minds and get the creative flow started. Ancient Rome was also known to be a civilization that had a large population of drug users. Drugs in the past weren’t always used just for recreational use; they did have a part in the medicinal field. Doctors of ancient times would give the patients a prescription depending on their ailments. Opium was used as a headache medicine, pain reliever or even a stress reliever. The use of opium has even been used up until recently in the civil war in the United States, even former President Harrison was given opium to try and help with pneumonia. Opium is also the plant that morphine is derived from, which is used in the medical field today as a powerful pain reliever. Drugs ...
In working with this client though the many sessions, the social barrier of medication was revealed and how it is displayed in the social world, but also the stigmas surrounding the used of medication for mental disorders. To be a part of social change in medications for mental illness there needs to be more educational information provided and knowledge share to reduce the negative social norms surrounding the use of medication for treatment. Educating young adults with medication can be just as essential as sex educations. This will reduce the stigma of medication by peers and gain the understanding of how it can be useful to help the individuals that need it. The steps that would be taken to change how medication is viewed in society is educational pamphlets, town seminars, and explanations by the doctor to the clients in treatment of what they medication does and how it can help improve the clients life.
Medications are important part of patient’s life, in that without compliance or adherence to once prescribed medication, the patient’s disease will linger on and cause more complications in their body. Medication compliance is one of the most important topics discussed with the patients. Medication compliance has been described as the ability of the patient to follow correctly prescribed medication. Compliance of medication does not only point out prescription drugs but any therapeutic and medical equipment such as spacers, braces, crutches walkers among others recommended by the physician or nurse practitioner. Medication adherence also addresses the correct prescribed dose of the medication. Ideally, patients