Are your medications interacting with each other? Are there any you no longer need? These are just a few reasons you should schedule a comprehensive annual medication review. During a review, your doctor or pharmacist will check to ensure the medicines and supplements you take are still necessary, the dosages are still appropriate, and that they aren’t causing unintentional interactions. They will ask you about any symptoms or side effects, as well as how and when you take each medication. The goal is to ensure you are taking only the medications you need, in the correct manner and dosages. In this blog, we explain the top four reasons you should make an annual review a priority if you take multiple medications, and how we can help keep you organized.
Top Four Benefits
1) Avoiding Dangerous Combinations
You may have medications prescribed from a primary care doctor and medications prescribed from a specialist, while also taking over-the-counter meds and supplements. It’s critical to have a professional take a look at the complete list to ensure all these medications work well together, so you can avoid potentially dangerous interactions and side effects.
2) Ensuring the Treatment Is Still Effective
The medical field is constantly updating with reviews and recalls—some drugs may be discontinued while others are no longer considered effective. And it’s not just the meds that change; your body evolves as well. You may be taking medications for a condition that’s no longer present, or not taking medications for a condition that has developed since your last visit. A review is a good time to address these issues.
3) Simplifying Your Regimen
Do you have more than one medication to treat the same problem? A review can help you pare that down. Your pharmacist or doctor can help with strategies like standardizing the methods in which you take medications, consolidating your dosing times or switching you to long-acting formulations. Simplifying the process ensures that you stick to the schedule you need.
4) Personalizing Your Care
Medication reviews are tailored exclusively to you. The more specialty doctors you see, the greater the chance of miscommunication between physicians. An annual medication review is the best time for you to communicate any potential concerns or clarify any confusion you may have about your regimen.
We’re Ready to Help
Not only can we conduct your annual medication review, but we also offer a range of solutions to help keep your medications organized, including our MediBubble® management system and our blister packs. We can also coordinate all your prescriptions with your doctor through our Vial Synchronization prescription solution, so they’re all filled on the same day. If you’re interested in scheduling a medication review or want to know more about our products, contact us to speak to one of our pharmacists.