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I don’t think it’s out of the scope of good practice to even have a conversation pre-prescription of opioids to say, I’m considering prescribing these things to you, but just keep in mind that these can cause problems with people and you really don’t know whether it will or won’t unless you do it or...
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Medical recordkeeping has the potential to be reduced to checkboxes: I’ve done this, I’ve done that, I’m good with the people who will review my records, so I’m done. But I think integrating the information in a meaningful fashion is the next level that we’re trying to get clinicians to go to. So in...
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NSAID therapy is really a complex topic, and is associated with a wide range of cautions and adverse effects, as is well known. Aspirin was really the first drug that was used as an NSAID, over a century ago. Of course, we know all these years later if aspirin came on the market now, it surely would...
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Clinicians must be prepared to recognize that addiction is a disease and it’s a very serious and fatal disease, which is often written off as a weakness or poor moral character, or something like that. Only by recognizing it as a disease can they really help their patients through compassion...
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The evaluation of these patients by providers, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and all those who work in a medical team, is a challenge and therefore we need to standardize the approach. We need to recognize that we’re dealing with a chronic illness that requires a team...
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Constipation happens universally in patients who are prescribed opioids. I’ve met a handful of patients over the years that don’t develop constipation from opioids and I always think the same thing. You’re not taking your drug. That’s how universal constipation is associated with opioids. Just as we...
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Corresponding Responsibilities for Patient Well-Being
Many of the chain pharmacies have implemented policies relating to the know-your-customer policy of the Drug Enforcement Administration and many of the pharmacists are required now to document and corroborate information relating to the...
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Corresponding Responsibilities for Patient Well-Being
In the big picture it may have been a good idea, but the way it was implemented became a problem. Prescribers and pharmacists have little time as it is, and for them to take away their time to engage in a national policy and doing it on each...
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Dr. Zacharoff sketches the background history of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, and offers an assessment of how well they are performing and how they can be improved. Watch the segment for recommendations on what you need to know to successfully engage these tools in your prescribing...
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With acetaminophen, the most important thing to think about is liver toxicity, and remembering to take age into account when you’re thinking about the maximum dosing. And it’s important to be sure that patients are aware that there are a lot of agents out there that have acetaminophen as an...