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Safely Managing Your Medication
Look to the Pharmacology Institute at Ocean Medical Center for help keeping track of your medications — and making sure they keep you safe and
well. Lucille Culver is one of many who is glad she did.
Good news: People are
living longer. We're
better able to fight off
the effects of disease thanks to
advances in technology and
medication. But the longer we
live, the more likely we are to
take one or more prescription
medications.
Prescription drugs can be lifesaving —
as long as they are taken correctly.
That's why Meridian Health created
the Pharmacology Institute at Ocean
Medical Center.
A Service Like No Other
The Pharmacology Institute provides
medication analysis and education for
patients and caregivers. Older adults, in
particular, often take multiple medications,
including over-the-counter medications and supplements. It is important they
understand the prescription instructions
and any side effects that may arise.
"It's not uncommon for patients to see
three or four different doctors who are all
prescribing drugs for different problems,"
explains Robert Schenk Jr., RPh, CCP,
consultative pharmacist for the
Pharmacology Institute. "We pull all their
medications and supplements together to
ensure they interact correctly and serve
the patient well. There's no other service
like it in the area."
Pharmacy consultants at the Pharmacology Institute don't
change medications or take patients off of them. Instead they
review the medications a patient is taking and perform a risk/
benefit analysis on each. They educate patients on what each
drug is for and how to properly take it.
They also alert the patient's primary doctor to any potential
problems. And doctors at Meridian know that the Pharmacology
Institute is there to help them as well. This was the case for
Lucille Culver.
Diagnosis: Drug Interaction
Lucille, 65, had been diagnosed with a number of medical problems
throughout the years. By the time she started seeing Ocean
Medical Center primary care doctor Rocco Giliberti, D.O., she
was taking 18 prescription medications plus a few supplements.
Dr. Giliberti noticed symptoms in Lucille, including Parkinson'slike
trembling, that he thought could be the result of a drug interaction.
He referred her to the Pharmacology Institute.
"A careful pharmacological review by a trained pharmacist
not only helps the physician, but also gives patients greater confidence
and understanding of their medication, which can lead to
better compliance," says Dr. Giliberti. "The service provides better
overall quality of care."
Feeling Better on Fewer Meds
Schenk was able to pinpoint several problems with Lucille's prescription
medications, as well as some inconsistencies in how
she was taking them. After working with Dr. Giliberti, Lucille was
taken off six drugs — and her tremors ended.
"We tend to get in the habit of taking medication without
questioning it," Lucille says. "I'm relieved to understand what I'm
taking, and I feel so much better."
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Our pharmacy consultants can help
patients in many ways. Services
provided include:
- Identifying medication duplication
- Identifying drug interactions
- Optimizing your medication therapy
- Identifying and preventing side effects
- Identifying over- or underdosing
- Simplifying dosing
Identifying untreated problems We also can provide specific help with diabetes care, including:
- Personalized diabetes management
- Blood glucose monitoring
- Self-management training
- Optimized medication management
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Do you want to learn how to better manage your medications? Call the Pharmacology Institute at
732-836-4466 for a direct consultation and to obtain a free medication card. You also can join us for
a special seminar — Medication Therapy Management — at Ocean Medical Center.
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