Patients Hiding Complementary Medicine Use

Pharmacists are best placed to assess potential issues in relation to patients’ medications, especially their undeclared complementary medicines (CMs) usage, according to Australian medicines information pharmacist, educator and researcher, Dr Treasure McGuire.

Although research published in the Australian Family Physician shows that two thirds of Australians use CMs, 50% source them at pharmacies, creating an opportunity for pharmacists to discuss how CM usage integrates with patients’ total care. 

“Often the pharmacist will know more about what the patient is actually taking than the primary health prescriber,” McGuire said. “This puts them in a unique vantage point to identify potential issues and opportunities in relation to an individual patient’s health.”

McGuire also expressed concern around the trends in polypharmacy she has seen, calling on pharmacists to update their knowledge of polypharmacy issues, and look at how they may be able “to implement an integrative service model to reach the best possible health outcomes for their patients.”

“As a pharmacist, understanding how to integrate complementary medicines into patient advice is vital to prevent or reduce medication risk.”

For more information on locally researched, evidence based interactions with over 800 recommendation on food-drug, supplement drug and herb-drug interactions, go to www.imgateway.net.  Information on IMgateway has been developed in partnership with the University of Sydney, School of Pharmacy.

Source: pharmacydaily.com.au, Monday 6 June 2016