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Medication reconciliation: Who do I talk with to review all my meds?
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Aug 3 9:33am | Replies (83)Comment receiving replies
Hi @samz0429 It’s frustrating when you have so many doctors, especially if they aren’t in the same clinic. They often aren’t aware of the other prescriptions we take. So it is important to always have that med list updated and carried in a wallet or purse to present any time we have an appointment.
The one doctor who would be able to put this together for you is your pharmacist. They can look at all of your medications and give you a comprehensive overview of what you’re taking and possible interactions. It’s easier if you use the same pharmacy for all of your meds, but if you don’t, and you go for a consultation, bring ALL of your pill bottles, your supplements and even all of the over the counter meds you have so that they can make a complete evaluation.
The best way to handle this is to make an appointment to see the pharmacist, don’t just want in. You can contact them first by phone to discuss what you need. Pharmacists are overwhelmed these days with changes in their hours and lack of support help. So setting up an appointment can help get the consultation you need.
I found this guideline from the Food and Drug Administration that you might find helpful.
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-you-drugs/stop-learn-go-tips-talking-your-pharmacist-learn-how-use-medicines-safely#:~:text=Tell%20your%20pharmacist%20Every%20medicine%20you%20use%2C%20especially,medicines%2C%20vitamins%2C%20herbals%2C%20and%20other%20supplements%20you%20use.
Do you have a single pharmacy for all of your prescriptions?
Replies to "Hi @samz0429 It’s frustrating when you have so many doctors, especially if they aren’t in the..."
This is very good advice Lori, especially when you receive a prescription that will be filled by a specialty pharmacy or compounding pharmacy. I went through a full-on check of every medication, including OTC products. The lady was extremely thorough, asked a lot of questions and was looking for any history that might indicate a presenting issue. The new medication is a twice-monthly injection so she was very interested in knowing the when and why......as well as how long I had been taking every medication.
At first I was a bit annoyed......like I have been taking Losartan without any dosage change for about 15 years. However, before my recent surgery, I had to briefly stop the Losartan for a good reason. So......I am no longer irritated and begging for forgiveness. Just because I am such an old duck, doesn't mean I know everything.
I also received several pages of information about the new medication. My local pharmacist puts a red dot on any new medication which means he wants to talk to me about it when I come in to pick it up. I always wondered why some folks had red dots on the paperwork.
Still learning.
Chris
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I have a pharmacy that I have used for the past 5yrs. My disappointment comes from my pharmacists NOT telling me a drug I have been on for years was causing my falls, dizziness, & brain fog. My Mental health Dr had to be the one to tell me that the drug I had been on for yrs was causing the problem!!! No one else looked at the list of drugs I was on to see if there might have been a correlation. I am on a lesser dose & haven't fallen since. I could have saved an MRI, X-Rays, bloodwork seeming a Neurologist, & several other tests to verify the cause of my dizziness.