When a Geriatric Care Manager has been called to help a family navigate the healthcare of a loved one, it includes a roundup of all their medications in their home including any over the counter (OTC) medicine, and supplements (herbal remedies, Vitamins, etc.).
Over the years, we’ve seen seniors and their families innocently pick up or order these items. However, most do not understand that all of these are considered part of their Medication List and they also are unaware that many of these can be contraindicated with their diagnosis, and their other medications.
Most often, the PCP and the Pharmacist have no idea of what is being taken other than what is prescribed. We can help pull this altogether so your healthcare provider can determine if the others are able to be safely integrated into your regimen. Once all the medications, supplements, and herbal remedies have been approved and dosages, frequency of administration times, and routes confirmed, we will then have the PCP create an approved medication list, this is known as a Medication Reconciliation.
The New Year is a perfect time to start afresh if it hasn’t been done before!