Medication errors are a significant problem facing healthcare organizations, particularly in areas like transplantation which require complex regimens. With that in mind, transplant pharmacists at the University of California San Diego Medical Center have undertaken several initiatives to help improve compliance and reduce errors. 

View the following excerpts from the Winter issue of the UCSD Journal of Nursing to see how the UCSD team integrates MedActionPlan to help educate patients about their medication regimens.

UCSD_Nursing_Winter09.pdf (552.60 kb)

Free online program allows pharmacists and patients to create customized printable treatment plans.

This article originally appeared on the website of the Iowa Pharmacy Association. Used with permission.

Do you struggle to help your patients improve their medication adherence? According to the Center for Technology and Aging report, 23% of all nursing home admissions are a result of poor medication compliance. Whether it is one medication or 15, pharmacists, patients, and caregivers are challenged daily to ensure medications are taken correctly and on time. 

MyMedSchedule.com may offer a solution to the growing problem of poor adherence. This new, free online program is set up so that patients can create and print or email personalized dosing schedules that include the name, strength, and picture of the drug as well as specific dosing instructions for each medication. This tool is also a great way for pharmacists to assist patients with adherence issues by either creating the medication list for the patient or simply helping them use the service. The program includes patient-friendly education handouts in Spanish, English, large font, and wallet-sized cards as well as email and text message reminders that notify patients when to take a certain medication or simply when a drug is due for a refill.

If you are interested in a more extensive service, another free tool, MedActionPlan.com, allows providers to create profiles that include documentation of allergies as well as assistance in dosing schedules, anticoagulation titration schedules and Diabetes management in addition to the dosing handouts mentioned above. This is a universal service that can be utilized in any type of pharmacy setting, whether you practice inpatient, outpatient, retail, or in a variety of other types of pharmacy settings.

According to Donna Gemme Brooten, Director of Marketing and Client Relations of MedActionPlan, “Over 50% of the hospitals that use MedActionPlan use their pharmacist team as the lead for the program and for patient education. It is used as an education and adherence tool for in-patient and at discharge, and also in clinic and outpatient settings.”

Again, MyMedSchedule and MedActionPlan are both free and can be accessed from any computer as long as Internet is available and Javascript is turned on. They are HIPAA compliant, and the online tutorials are quick and easy to follow. The program is endorsed by several national organizations such as American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN), The Organization for Transplant Professionals (NATCO), and the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS) as well.

Most importantly, however, is that through the use of printed daily schedules, specific dosing instructions, and reminders, pharmacists can help patients improve their medication compliance. This can increase medication efficacy and enhance the patient’s quality of life--all free of charge.

For more information on utilizing MyMedSchedule.com, visit the website http://www.MyMedSchedule.com to view the tutorials. If you are interested in using MedActionPlan.com, visit the website www.MedActionPlan.com. For either service, call 800-543-2230 with questions, or contact Donna Gemme Brooten.

References:

• www.MedActionPlan.com
• www.MyMedSchedule.com
• "Optimizing Medication Use in Older Adults." Center for Technology and Aging. (October 2009): 1-32. Print.

“Wow! This website made it super easy to organize and remind me of my pill schedule after surgery. My favorite feature was the printable charts that showed a picture and description of my medications, so there was no confusion. The text message reminders were an added bonus. Using MyMedSchedule gave me peace of mind that I was taking the right medications at the right times. Absolutely love this service, and recommend it to anyone taking medication.”

Andrew F.
Student, Appalachian State ’11

Learn about what you should know about generic and brand name medications. Also, learn about a free service to remind you to take your medication.

To find a free service that reminds you to take your medication via email and text messaging go to http://www.mymedschedule.com.

When you’re prescribed medicine, sometimes you may not realize what you’re being prescribed is actually a generic version of a common medicine you may have heard of. Is there really that big a difference between the generic version of prescriptions and the name brand version? Sometimes name brand versions can be more costly, but does that mean they are less effective?

Name brand versions of medication are highly advertised, in magazines, on television, and in many other places. While they have the same active ingredient as generic brands, they can often be more expensive due to the advertising costs. While some people might look down on the fact that name brand medication costs more because of advertising, it can also mean that more people have tried the product and can vouch for its effectiveness. 

Since name brand medications are more well-known, it can also be easier to incorporate them into complex medication schedules. For people with a lot of medications to take, they might choose to use a medication scheduler online to help them take all of the medicines on time. If you’re taking brand name medicine, you can make a schedule complete with photos of what the pills look like, so you won’t risk confusing prescriptions. 

Some people claim that the name brand version of medications work more effectively than the generic brands, and while this may be true, the FDA has to approve all ingredients in any medication. Often times, generic medicines have the same side effects and precautions as name brand medications, but not any more of a risk than the name brand ones. The dosage amount is also usually the same. 

Studies have found that some generic forms of medication are owned by the companies that distribute the name brand ones, so either way, the patient and medical insurance are sending their money to the same place. Generic medications usually don’t look as interesting or colorful as the name brand ones. Some people think that they are manufactured in worse facilities than name brand medications, but the FDA requires that all medications sold in the U.S. be manufactured in regulated places. 

If you’re using a medication schedule to help you remember when to take your prescriptions, you’ll need to put in the dosage amount and how frequently you’ll be taking it. Good medication schedule websites will not only include name brand medications, but generic ones as well. They will also have an option to remind you when it is time to refill your medication. 

If you have any questions about name brand and generic medications or how to set up the proper medication schedule for your prescriptions, don’t hesitate to ask your physician. They can even help you set up a medication schedule that works for you and your lifestyle. They will be able to tell you when to take each medicine and how much to take. While generic and name brand medications are essentially the same, it’s still important to take them as directed.