Helping Patients Feel Comfortable with Their Meds in a Primary Care Setting

“The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of life.  And the body is born young and grows old. That is life’s tragedy.”

Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)
Victorian Writer and Aesthete

Helping Patients Feel Comfortable with Their Meds in a Primary Care Setting

TISA Description of the Problem: First starting medications can be a daunting task, especially if the patient is not used to taking medications. Anything that makes taking meds more difficult or inconvenient may lead to a patient not taking the med and, vice versa, anything that simplifies the process can lead to more interest in trying and maintaining a medication. In this regard, getting a prescription filled at the pharmacy can be anything but easy and enjoyable, especially for patients who have trouble driving or are easily confused.

Tip: The first time one is prescribing for a patient, besides carefully reviewing how to use the medication, say the following:

Clinician: Would you like me to call that prescription in for you? Once I’ve called it in, you won’t have to wait as long at the pharmacist and, if you like, someone could pick the medication up for you.

Result: Such a simple, yet considerate gesture, can be greatly appreciated by the patient. It can go a long way towards helping the patient to give his or her medication a useful trial, hopefully leading to yet one more avenue of healing.

TISA Follow-up:

Tip provided by:

Cheryl Gukenberg, CMA, Riverview Physician Services, Wisconsin