LHCR / Home Health Newsletters

March/April 2006 - Oral Medications – A Multidisciplinary Approach

When you are working with your staff related to oral medications, remember to encourage a multidisciplinary approach.  Your staff is a valuable resource that often gets overlooked.

Physical Therapy:

• Therapy only patients need to have the therapist's eyes and ears assessing for medication side effects and compliance issues
• Are you equipping the therapist with tools and education on medications side effects and what questions to ask patient/caregiver to determine compliance and possible side effects?
• Does your agency have processes in place for therapist to report the possible side effects or compliance issues?

Occupational Therapy:

• Are appropriate referrals being made to OT for medication management issues such as difficulty with opening containers, alternative pillboxes or systems?

• When hand strength is weak, OT can impact the patient's medication independence by implementing an exercise program to increase hand strength

• Does your staff know to make referrals to OT for cognitive issues and that the OT may be able to provide more cognitively appropriate materials?

 Speech Therapy:

• Memory sequencing issues effect medication management and is an area ST can address
• Cognitive and visual issues are other areas that ST can directly impact the patient
• Simplification in processing, i.e. color coded simple systems

Social Workers:

• Financial assistance to pay for medications

• Find volunteers to help with medication management, i.e. pre-fill pillboxes

• Address anxiety or other psycho-social issues that may impact medication compliance

Home Health Aide:

• Remind patients to take their medications

• Assist patients to open their bottles or pillboxes

• Must check with your state license board on specific regulations

Pharmacists:

• Partner with local pharmacies to assist with determination of potential adverse effects and for possible medication reduction suggestions to submit to the physician

Thanks to Misty Kevech from Quality Insights of PA.

Jane Artz, RN, BSHA