HomeMeds: Uncovering hidden medication problems in the home — saves money, saves lives. (v3)

HomeMeds: Putting the IT in transitions. The software system of the HomeMeds intervention produces alerts chosen specifically for their significance to prescribers and the likelihood of producing an improvement in medication safety. Hospitals -- and most doctors, actually -- do not know what over-the-counter medications and supplements patients take and very often new prescriptions are given without discontinuing older medications. We have found that up to half of frail elders living in the community have medication-related problems including therapeutic duplications, falls and confusion caused by psychoactive medications (including OTCs like Benadryl), increased risk of peptic ulcer and gastrointestinal bleeding due to use of OTC pain medicine, and low pulse, or other problems related to use of blood pressure and other cardiac medications. The risk for these problems is most immediate upon discharge from the hospital with new and changed medication regimens, and transitions in care.

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Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Homemeds
• partners
• in
• care
• IT
• transitions
• medication
• pharmacist
• program
• health
• healthcare
• systems
• putting
• the
• it
• elderly
• frail
• old
• age