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Patient
Education on Medications
(c)
Becky Sisk, PhD, RN, July 15, 2002
Before
you can teach patients about their medications, you need to do a medication
assessment. People are sometimes sent home with prescriptions and expectations
that they will cooperate with treatment.
When
they do not adhere to the medical plan, there are several reasons why they do
not:
-
Lack
of understanding of the purpose of the medication
-
Inability
to read and understand directions
-
Lack
of financial resources
-
Distress
over the effects of adverse reactions to drugs
-
Cultural
values that may interfere with a person's ability to cooperate.
Your
nursing assessment should include
An
accounting of all medications, both prescribed and over-the counter (OTC).
-
The
patient's understanding of the action, side effects, dose, and timing of
each medication.
-
Medication
allergies.
-
Family
support for taking medications accurately.
-
Patient's
ability to pay for medications.
-
Patient's
ability to see directions on the medication bottle.
-
Patient
and family cultural values.
Your
nursing care plan should include
-
Working
with the patient and family to be sure they understand what a medication is
for, the correct dose of the medication, what time to take the
medication, how long to take the drug, how to take the drug, and the
usual side effects of the drug.
-
Teaching
the patient to apply ointments or creams on clean skin, lightly.
-
Providing
written and oral medication instructions.
-
The
importance of contacting the physician if side effects occur rather than
discontinuing the drug.
-
The
importance of informing the physician of all over-the-counter medications.
-
Teaching
the patient the generic and brand names of medications and about possible
substitution of name brands with generic brands.
-
Working
with the patient to develop a medication schedule that is consistent with
the patient's routine and to come up with a way to keep track of medications
taken.
-
Teaching
the patient to keep medication in the bottles they come in and to not take
expired drugs.
-
Teaching
the patient to store medication away from heat and direct sunlight.
-
Providing
resources for patients who cannot afford medications, such as checking with
state agencies or local charities for assistance or trying these websites:
Bibliography
Patient
Education: Principles and Practice (4th Ed.), 2001, by Sally H. Rankin and Sally
Duffy Stallings
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0781720222/nursescribe-20
The
Practice of Patient Education (9th Ed.), 2001, by Barbara Klug Redman
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0323012795/nursescribe-20
No
Time to Teach? A Nurse's Guide to Patient and Family Education, 1999, by Fran
London and C.J. Miller http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0781716446/nursescribe-20
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