Feature on Morning Blend in Tampa Bay
I am grateful and honored to be featured on Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend to discuss the importance of Patient and Healthcare Advocacy. As a Pharmacist I have seen many sides to the healthcare industry and while we have some of the best treatments and medications in the world, the system is broken. As much as I would love to fix the system there are so many hurdles and moving parts to the healthcare system that my efforts alone may not have a great deal of impact, however, I am capable of making the system work better and some of my clients have even stated flawlessly. The idea is to make the system perform as it should, but there is a lack of guidance and human interaction built into the system in 2024. Many of my clients rarely get the opportunity to speak to someone on the phone when calling a doctor’s office, the pharmacy, or their insurance provider. They are always met with automation, which can be a good thing (different conversation for a different day), but not when the person is feeling bad or needs help.
Automation does not fill the gaps left in patient records, electronic health records/ systems, medication lists, etc. In fact, the most common issue I see when working with new clients is that, if they are on five or more medications, rarely do all of their healthcare providers have an updated list of medications. This is potentially dangerous and alarming that such an important aspect of healthcare is overlooked so frequently. There are many places I could point to that would be a likely point of failure, but that is not what I am about, I would rather instill change and provide solutions than point the finger at a problem and criticize everyone and everything involved. As I discussed on Morning Blend, polypharmacy is the cause of 30% of hospital admissions and the rate at which individuals are prescribed five or more medications has doubled since the year 2000. With these statistics only growing it is imperative that we organize and ensure our health records are accurate. In addition, it is so important we include our supplements and over the counter medications in these records due to their potential interactions with other medications.
Finally, having a pharmacist review medications at least annually can provide huge educational opportunities as well as deprescribing opportunities if changes are made that improve health and reduce the need for the medications. Some medications are temporary but stay on too long, some medications become out dated and no longer necessary or the benefits do not outweigh the risks. Whatever the case, it is my firm belief that we can shore up these gaps in healthcare to ensure a better experience and achieve an amazing quality of life. If you would like some help in the healthcare system or want to review and update your medications, please give me a call or send an email and I can make some beneficial changes to your healthcare routine.
-Patrick
