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Prescription Drugs
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Who do you think would know more about prescription drugs that you take for a specific illness?
Your GP, a Pharmacist, or a hospital doctor who specialises in that particular illness?
I'm thinking in particular about the side effects from the drugs and whether that drug would be suitable for you. Thanks.
Your GP, a Pharmacist, or a hospital doctor who specialises in that particular illness?
I'm thinking in particular about the side effects from the drugs and whether that drug would be suitable for you. Thanks.
Answers
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Pharmacists will have an excellent knowledge about these matters.
You could also look at:
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You could also look at:
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PS: Our local NHS Trust operates a dedicated helpline for enquiries about prescribed medicines:
https:/
Perhaps your does too?
https:/
Perhaps your does too?
^^^ Pharmacists can already access a patient's summary care record electronically, TCL. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, and others, are campaigning for pharmacists to have full access to GP records (as happens in many other countries):
https:/
https:/
Difficult one. The pharmacist should be the expert in drug interractions and side effects. The specialist doctor (or nurse) should be up to date in the indications for using one or other drug in preference to others for your condition and vv. Your own doctor, if they know you well, may have other information about you personally which may make one or another drug the best choice for you, or a bad choice.
Pharmacists are limited in what they can suggest. Their advice is limited by this and I know from experience that they can't advise certain drugs for people over a certain age whereas a GP or a specialist may still think its ok and prescribe it as the best option. Both Gp's and specialist will have access to parts or all of your medical record whereas a pharmacist will often (usually) be limited to what you tell them.
Pharmacists are limited in what they can suggest. Their advice is limited by this and I know from experience that they can't advise certain drugs for people over a certain age whereas a GP or a specialist may still think its ok and prescribe it as the best option. Both Gp's and specialist will have access to parts or all of your medical record whereas a pharmacist will often (usually) be limited to what you tell them.
I was thinking more my GP because they know me better and would know I wouldn't want to take a drug that would make my hair fall out or put lots of weight on. I have recently been prescribed a drug by a doctor I've never met, just a telephone consultation, so I want to make sure that the drug will be suitable for me. Thanks for your answers.
Pharmacist is the expert. The consultant will have deep knowledge of the drugs in his specialist field but the pharmacist will have a better knowledge of the contraindications, side effects etc.
My GP will not take me off a drug prescribed by my consultant because, he says, he doesn't know enough about that particular drug and that has to be the consultant's decision.
My GP will not take me off a drug prescribed by my consultant because, he says, he doesn't know enough about that particular drug and that has to be the consultant's decision.
I tend to think pharmacists as that is their whole area of study. GP has much broader but less specialist knowledge IMO, they often have to look things up on the internet. I've often been prescribed drugs by GPs who actually knew very little basic info on them eg how many come in a packet as a basic example.
Reading up can help with asking questions, and sometimes getting advice from different sources can be useful. I can think of a couple of incidences where I have been prescribed medication which I shouldn't have been.
Once by a GP, who seemed quite affronted that I was questioning her by saying I couldn't have the drug that she had prescribed (interacted with another consultant prescribed drug) until she looked it up and it confirmed what I was saying.
The second was a Registrar who prescribed a drug for a serious condition (RA) which would have been rendered ineffective by another drug I was taking. I questioned it and it was referred to the hospital pharmacy who confirmed that I was right. They also had not told me about a very significant side effect of the drug, which I was very unhappy about and very relieved that I'd read up before I took any.
It was actually me finding out about that in literature, after being given the drugs, and doing my own reading up which lead to me spotting the issue about the other drug I was taking. I was also angry as the rather expensive drugs then had to be given back to the hospital pharmacy, who couldn't then reuse them.
Both incidences were resolved by me having read up about the drugs and being able to seek advice and answer questions. It is only two examples over a long period though and I have different drugs prescribed by different places, GP and different departments at different hospitals. I just find that it helps to be informed and to ask questions that you need to.
Some things are very specialist. I've had one of my medicines questioned a few times by pharmacists and my GP surgery as it's apparently a much bigger dose than what the "usual" maximum prescribed is. It was prescribed by my consultant and he has now put it in writing to my GP surgery that the dose is fine.
If it's a RA drug (if I remember right you have RA, and with you mentioning the hair loss bit?) then there are a few of us on here who might have some personal experience, though obviously that's personal to everyone and I don't mean instead of taking professional advice. There may be some tips though about managing those kinds of side effects.
Once by a GP, who seemed quite affronted that I was questioning her by saying I couldn't have the drug that she had prescribed (interacted with another consultant prescribed drug) until she looked it up and it confirmed what I was saying.
The second was a Registrar who prescribed a drug for a serious condition (RA) which would have been rendered ineffective by another drug I was taking. I questioned it and it was referred to the hospital pharmacy who confirmed that I was right. They also had not told me about a very significant side effect of the drug, which I was very unhappy about and very relieved that I'd read up before I took any.
It was actually me finding out about that in literature, after being given the drugs, and doing my own reading up which lead to me spotting the issue about the other drug I was taking. I was also angry as the rather expensive drugs then had to be given back to the hospital pharmacy, who couldn't then reuse them.
Both incidences were resolved by me having read up about the drugs and being able to seek advice and answer questions. It is only two examples over a long period though and I have different drugs prescribed by different places, GP and different departments at different hospitals. I just find that it helps to be informed and to ask questions that you need to.
Some things are very specialist. I've had one of my medicines questioned a few times by pharmacists and my GP surgery as it's apparently a much bigger dose than what the "usual" maximum prescribed is. It was prescribed by my consultant and he has now put it in writing to my GP surgery that the dose is fine.
If it's a RA drug (if I remember right you have RA, and with you mentioning the hair loss bit?) then there are a few of us on here who might have some personal experience, though obviously that's personal to everyone and I don't mean instead of taking professional advice. There may be some tips though about managing those kinds of side effects.
Ps. I've checked with my usual pharmacy that I get my repeat prescriptions from quite a few times about whether any medication might interact. The pharmacy team are brilliant there.
It's usually been if I've been prescribed medication which I get from a hospital pharmacy, so not via my GP on my usual repeat. I try and pick a time when they aren't too busy and they do a quick check on their system for me against the medications I get from them.
They also offer medication reviews sometimes which I find useful. They have a little room out the back and go through the medications you are on, if you are having any issues with them, making sure you're taking them properly etc...
It highlighted a few things for me, for example, they did a list for me of medications I'm on which should be taken after food etc... There was also a bit of a clash between medications that was solved by making sure I left about an hour between taking them.
I also got information about getting them in a special dosette type package where all the medication comes already sorted in to doses, say morning, middle of the day and evening. Unfortunately, my medication schedule wasn't straightforward enough for that, but knowing about that kind of thing is really useful. A shame as it'd really save my hands!
It's usually been if I've been prescribed medication which I get from a hospital pharmacy, so not via my GP on my usual repeat. I try and pick a time when they aren't too busy and they do a quick check on their system for me against the medications I get from them.
They also offer medication reviews sometimes which I find useful. They have a little room out the back and go through the medications you are on, if you are having any issues with them, making sure you're taking them properly etc...
It highlighted a few things for me, for example, they did a list for me of medications I'm on which should be taken after food etc... There was also a bit of a clash between medications that was solved by making sure I left about an hour between taking them.
I also got information about getting them in a special dosette type package where all the medication comes already sorted in to doses, say morning, middle of the day and evening. Unfortunately, my medication schedule wasn't straightforward enough for that, but knowing about that kind of thing is really useful. A shame as it'd really save my hands!
Just walk behind the desk in a chemist's shop and into the inner sanctum and see the array of medications, wall to wall.
The pharmacist cannot know all the doses, side effects and interactions of all of those preparations.
He/she doesn't, he/she knows the commonly prescribed drugs but has to look up the less familiar.
A Consultant has a limited range associated with the speciality and hence is an expert on these drugs.
The GP is in the same situation as the pharmacist, familiar with the commonly prescribed but has to refer to Mimms or the BNF for the more rarely prescribed drugs
Take you pick......I really don,t think it matters one jot.
The pharmacist cannot know all the doses, side effects and interactions of all of those preparations.
He/she doesn't, he/she knows the commonly prescribed drugs but has to look up the less familiar.
A Consultant has a limited range associated with the speciality and hence is an expert on these drugs.
The GP is in the same situation as the pharmacist, familiar with the commonly prescribed but has to refer to Mimms or the BNF for the more rarely prescribed drugs
Take you pick......I really don,t think it matters one jot.
Well I had been taking calcium tablets for about 3 years given to me by my respiratory Dr and on a recent visit to hospital the pharmacist queried why I was taking them at the same time as a antibiotic , which I had also been taking for about 3 years , as they were cancelling each other out !! Was not happy to put it mildly :(
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