Have you ever questioned the interactions of the medications or vitamins or supplements you take? When should you take them? With food? On empty stomach? What’s the real value of each one and when taken together…..WOW! Who is paying attention to all your medications? Your PCP? Your neighborhood pharmacist that changes regularly?
Further, I am increasingly aware that I am getting prescribed more and more as I age, including vitamins and supplements. Vitamin D and a Calcium supplement have recently been added to my list of medications. There are so many brands and versions of these and I realize their effectiveness can be limited by what and when I eat and anything else I put in my mouth. YIKES!!!!
Recently I met two pharmacists who know this to be real and a very concerning trend as more and more pills are consumed by Americans. Thus, Irene Croswell and and Carol Van Horn joined together to offer personalized clinical pharmacy services. They call themselves Coordinated MEDucation Team https://meducationteam.com/ .
The following is written by Irene Croswell, PharmD for my blog. Thanks Irene!!!
This is a true story. Maggie lived in her own home for many years. She had several health conditions and took many medications – prescription, over the counter, vitamins, and herbal and nutritional supplements. Some of these medications caused serious side effects. And some of them, even the supplements, interacted with each other. Eventually, her medications did not work as well to manage her health conditions. Maggie began to lose her eyesight and the prescription labels became harder to read. She began to fall occasionally but did not recover as quickly as before. She did not go out to lunch or go shopping with her friends as much. Eventually, Maggie moved into a care facility. Unfortunately, Maggie had never had a medication management review.
All of us have different health challenges that may change over time for a variety of reasons. Sometimes things get worse when we make certain choices such as seeing several doctors or other healthcare providers, using multiple pharmacies, ignoring signs that our medications may not be right for us, or being afraid to ask questions or speak up about our concerns. A patient advocate can help you navigate some of those challenges and work with you and your healthcare team.
Another valuable resource is a specially trained, clinical consultant pharmacist who can partner with you to complete your personal Comprehensive Medication Management Review (CMMR). The process of a CMMR includes collaborating with you and your healthcare team as well as reviewing all of your medications, your health concerns, your challenges, your preferences, your lifestyle, or even your individual genetic makeup that may influence if or how a medication works for you. You are given a comprehensive report that you can share and discuss with your healthcare team. If your health changes, we could do another CMMR and work with you and your healthcare team to update your care plan. The Comprehensive Medication Management Review serves as a compass to help you navigate and improve your health. The goal of a CMMR is to help empower you take control of your well-being, optimize your health, and make the best use of your health care spending. Your story doesn’t have to be like Maggie’s story. You Can Make A Change for Life ! With us, it’s all about person-centered care at Coordinated MEDucation Team. Please email us at carol@meducationteam.com OR irene@meducationteam.com
Aging with Advocacy, LLC 