Improving Medication Management in Home Care: Issues and Solutions

Help stop the widespread problem of medication errors among the elderly

The problem of medication errors among the elderly is widespread. Improving Medication Management in Home Care: Issues and Solutions tackles this tough issue by closely examining the challenges faced in preventing medication errors in home and community care program settings and putting forth effective solutions to better manage medication use. Respected experts discuss the unique role of the pharmacist in improving patient safety, presenting a comprehensive collection of evidence-based studies featuring national and international viewpoints, cutting-edge interventions, and cost-effective procedures that address medication problems in older adults.

Polypharmacy is the term used for patients receiving too many medications for a specific treatment. The implications for drug-drug interactions can be dangerous for the unaware patient. Improving Medication Management in Home Care: Issues and Solutions focuses on several different effective management programs and examines each in detail, completely explaining the positiveand negativeresults. This hands-on practical information is useful for all professionals and field providers working with older adults and their medication concerns. The book also provides valuable lessons through the experiences of national home health leaders in various settingshospital-based, rural, large or small, etc., as well as community-based programs for dually eligable older adults. The book is extensively referenced and includes an abundance of clear, helpful tables, figures, and Web resources.

Improving Medication Management in Home Care: Issues and Solutions explores:

• developing computerized risk assessment screenings
  
• implementing pharmacist-centered interventions
  
• improving transitional care from hospital to home
  
• the Prescription Intervention and Lifelong Learning (PILL) program
  
• Medication Therapy Management Services
  
• a quality-improvement project to reduce falls and improve medication management
  
• outcome-based quality improvement for patient safety
  
• intern programs that can provide cost-effective consultant services

Improving Medication Management in Home Care: Issues and Solutions is essential reading for home health care administrators, clinicians, managers, pharmacists, physicians, educators, students, those professionals involved in the field of aging, and health practitioners world-wide.