What Is Medication Management and Why It Matters

In the United States, approximately 3.8 billion prescriptions are written each year. At the same time, roughly one in five new prescriptions are never filled, and about half are taken incorrectly.

There’s no doubt that there’s a strong need for better medication management throughout the country.

If you’ve been wondering “What is medication management?” or “Why does medication management matter?” keep reading. Outlined below is everything you need to know.

What Is Medication Management?

The term “medication management” refers to monitoring and reconciling medications. It also includes the act of ensuring that patients get the desired outcomes from their medications.

Medication management involves a thorough review of a patient’s prescribed drugs and the possible side effects they may cause. This helps physicians to create appropriate treatment plans and monitor them for safety and efficacy.

Why Should You Monitor Medication Carefully?

There are lots of reasons why medication management is important for patients of all ages. The following are some of the top reasons why it matters:

Avoid Undermedication or Overmedicating

A good medication management plan makes it easier for patients to avoid taking too little or too much of a specific drug. This, in turn, helps to prevent side effects. It increases the likelihood that patients experience relief from their symptoms, too. 

Avoid Mixing Harmful Medications

Medication management helps patients to avoid mixing medications that shouldn’t be combined.

This prevents drugs’ efficacy from being impacted. It also reduces the likelihood of potentially harmful effects occurring. 

Provide Better Patient Education

Patients feel empowered and knowledgeable when physicians work with them and their loved ones to provide medication education. They know what to expect from their medications and have a better idea of what to expect moving forward.

Prevent Patient Abuse

Medication education can also help to prevent patient abuse. This is especially relevant to nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

In these places, overmedicating patients is common. Medication management plans reduce the risk of this happening.

Medication Management Tips

From taking the right prescription dose to keeping up with the prescription refill schedule, there’s a lot that you can do to manage medications effectively for yourself or a loved one. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some important tips to keep in mind:

• Purchase a pillbox to make regular dispensing easier
• Set alarms or reminders on your phone so you don’t forget to take or give medications
• Use the same pharmacy for all medications to prevent delayed refills
• Store medications properly (at the right temperature, away from humidity, etc.)

It’s essential to regularly review medications with your doctor or your loved one’s doctor, too. This gives you a chance to discuss potential side effects and adjust dosages as needed. 

Level Up Your Medication Education Today

Now that you’re better informed regarding medication management, do you think that your loved ones could use some extra support?

Keep the tips listed above in mind. They’ll help them manage their prescriptions and maintain good health.

If you want to learn more about taking prescriptions correctly or improving health in general, there are lots of great articles available in the Health section of our site. Check them out today.