Being able to complete a medication reconciliation was a very cool experience because I got to use my knowledge from class to help with figuring out specific information or concerns regarding my client’s medications.

            Although the medications my client are on do not have many severe adverse effects, there were still some safety concerns that popped out at me. Dizziness may not seem like a big issue, but it has the potential to be when all of the medications she is on has that as one of their main adverse effects. Being dizzy could impair your day to day life, so it is something to watch out for and tell a HCP if it does happen. Another concern to me is that she is on Sprintec, which is an oral contraceptive she uses for birth control. She informed me that she suffers from migraines and from personal experience and by researching it, that form of birth control is not safe for her. It increases her chances of stroke because of the hormones in the pill. I did let her know that, so it is left for her to decide if she wants to switch to a safer form. The Pepcid she takes has an adverse effect of abnormal heart rhythms, which is rare, but something she needs to take into consideration since she has a heart murmur. None of the safety concerns were necessarily related to her age or her ability to understand her medications.

            My patient demonstrated a good understanding on why they are taking each medication along with information about each one. It is important for a patient to understand why they are on the medications they are on for safety reasons. Having knowledge about the medications you take will decrease the chances of overuse and any potential effects it could have on the body if misused or mixed with a food or drug it does not react with well. There were no serious medication reactions found within the medications she reported taking, however there are some interactions with issues she suffers from specifically. Again, suffering from migraines and taking oral contraceptives with certain hormones can increase the chances of blood clots, stroke, and other medical problems. My patient had a little information on it, but did not know how serious the effects could turn out to be.

            The medications that my patient reported to me all did different things, and were used for different issues. I was impressed with her initial knowledge on each of the medications even though there were some things she did not know. Anything I found concerning I did end up sharing with her, so now she has even more information on the medications she takes.