Your patients use medications from many sources of care while also taking over the counter medications and herbal supplements. These combinations can lead to adverse drug events that result in patient discomfort, clinic visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or death. Medications such as opioids, anticoagulants, and diabetic agents carry a much higher risk of adverse drug events, even when these medications are used properly. You can support your patients’ adherence to treatment plans by reviewing and reconciling their medications at every visit. Alliant Quality offers FREE educational tools that can be ordered or downloaded from our website Alliant Quality Website:
- ‘My Meds Bags’ – bag to bring all medications to clinic visits
- Medicine Review Tip Sheets – tool for patients and staff for medication reconciliation
- Helpful Hints for Remembering to Take Your Medications
- Dos and Don’ts of Pain Medicines
- Using Medications Safely with Diabetes
- Preventing Low Blood Sugar
- Helpful Hints Using Insulin Vials
Using these tools will help your patients understand how to take their medications more safely. Not only do medicine reviews decrease adverse drug events, they are also a component of quality measures tracked by CMS and other insurers and can be reimbursed.
For more information on medication safety tools and tips, contact Jennifer Massey, PharmD at jennifer.massey@alliantquality.org.