Management Of Medication Side Effects Research Articles

Pharmacists in clozapine clinics improving physical health monitoring.

IntroductionPeople living with schizophrenia have a higher rate of comorbid physical health diseases and compared with the general population die earlier due to these diseases. A pharmacist working in an outpatient mental health clinic setting could assist with the management of physical health disease for this population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether having a pharmacist in a community clozapine clinic would improve adherence to physical health monitoring and whether this would have a positive effect on these physical health outcomes.MethodsThis retrospective observational study compared patient data from 2 clozapine clinics; one where a pharmacist engaged in medication reviews and management of medication side effects, and another that did not have a pharmacist. The rates of physical health monitoring and the changes from baseline of physical health outcomes (weight, BMI, BP, HbA1c, and lipids) were compared after the first pharmacist intervention (medication review).ResultsThe pharmacist clinic had statistically higher rates of metabolic and ECG monitoring (glucose 48% vs 11%, P < .001; lipids 61% vs 7.1%, P < .001; ECG 15% vs 0%, P = .001). Positive trends in weight were identified in the pharmacist-group, although this failed to reach statistical significance.DiscussionThis study shows that pharmacists providing regular medication reviews improves physical health monitoring for patients receiving clozapine.

M246. DIGITAL SELF-MONITORING AND EMBODIMENT IN FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOSIS: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

BackgroundSmartphone technology has seen expanding interest across nearly all areas of medicine, including psychiatry, where app-based technologies frequently function as proxies for digitized behavioural phenotypes (Firth and Torous 2015). In the area first episode psychosis especially, there has been a rising interest in the use of digital platforms for patient self-management as well as for assessment of symptom domains (Ben-Zeev et al. 2014; Bell et al. 2018).MethodsThis paper discusses findings from a 3 year-long ethnographic study carried out within a first episode psychosis program in Toronto, Canada, in combination with a discourse analysis of the clinical and research literature relating to the use of self-monitoring technologies within first episode psychosis contexts. The qualitative data consists of formal and informal interviews with psychiatric service users, family members, and clinicians (n=45 interviews), in addition to observational field work within the clinical setting. Data were analyzed thematically within an interpretivist-constructivist frame, and triangulated through reflexive field notes, member-checking, and the authors’ clinical experience within the field. Themes were reviewed with senior clinicians in the first episode clinic setting as well as psychiatric service users for reliability and fidelity.ResultsSelf-monitoring technologies are increasingly used in both research and clinical care settings, most frequently related to the management of medication side effects and the tracking of the phenomenological aspects of psychotic and psychotic-like experiences. The uptake of these technologies by psychiatric service users in this setting was varied: at times, symptom and side effect tracking faciliated conversations about uncomfortable topics such as sexual side effects of antipsychotics, while in other instances the use of self-monitoring technologies was intrusive. Challenges with self-monitoring were likely to arise when issues relevant to understanding complex phenomena such as medication adherence were prematurely narrowed or when experiential narratives were foreclosed by the structure imposed by the technologies themselves. Resistance to self-monitoring arose in novel and interesting ways.DiscussionEngaging in self-monitoring, whether for side effect tracking or phenomenological analysis of moment-to-moment experiences have significant material effects on those engaged in such practices. When we consider the study findings through the lens of contemporary mental health ethics, we can appreciate how such technologies carry with them a potential for what has been termed “epistemic injustice” (Medina 2013; Fricker 2007), even at the same time as they offer potentially novel, meaningful forms of health care engagement. Grappling with this tension is of critical importance in light of the expansion of such platforms in both clinical and research environments

Perception of Supervisor Taking Medicine about the Side Effect of Tuberculosis Medication for Patients

DOTS strategy is a short-term treatment guide with direct supervision by supervisor taking medicine for tuberculosis patients. Supervisors should know, understand, and be able to distinguish between mild and severe side effects of anti-tuberculosis drugs. The failure of Tb treatment depends on supervisor taking medicine. Currently, never been known the perception of supervisor taking medicine about tuberculosis medication side effect. The purpose of the study to know the perception of the supervisor taking medicine about side effects for clients Tb treatment program in Blitar City. The research design used a descriptive. These result studies show the perception supervisor taking medicine about the side effects as much as 54.5% is the right category and as much as 45.5% is the wrong category. The right category perception may be the supervisor taking medicine ever receive information of tuberculosis medication side effect at the public health center while take a drug. Recommendations for health workers are providing appropriate information to the supervisor taking medicine can be improved with technique counseling and training so that improve knowledge and expertise in the management of medication side effects.

Attending to physical health in mental health services in Australia: aqualitative study of service users' experiences and expectations.

Evidence is unequivocal: the premature death of people with severe mental health problems is attributable primarily to cardiovascular disease, and healthcare provided is often suboptimal. With the overarching aim of improving outcomes, policies and guidelines oblige mental health services and psychiatrists to monitor cardio-metabolic health of patients and intervene as appropriate. Practice is highly variable; however, with ongoing debate about resourcing and responsibilities dominated by clinicians who have identified disinterest among patients as influencing practice. Seeking to balance discussion, we posed the question 'what do patients experience and expect of mental health services in relation to their physical health?' To answer it, we interviewed a convenience sample of 40 service users recruited from a mental health service in Australia, early in 2015. Data were analysed using the framework approach. With few regarding themselves as healthy, participants were commonly concerned about side effects of medication, weight and fitness but rarely mentioned tobacco smoking. Participants' accounts reinforce extensive research demonstrating variability in attention to physical health in mental health services. Reports by some participants of comprehensive care are encouraging, but widespread uncertainty about reasons for various assessments and denial of requests for management of medication side effects, including weight gain, gives cause for concern. Although participants in this study wanted to improve their health and health-related quality of life, they acknowledged that their motivation and ability to do so fluctuated with mental health. They expected clinicians to work proactively, especially when symptoms compromised capacity for self-care, and mental health services to provide or enable access to health-promoting interventions. Attention should be given, as a matter of priority, to creating conditions (culture and infrastructure) needed to support sustained attention to physical health within services and, importantly, to full engagement of service users in management of their physical health.

Achieving long-term optimal outcomes in geriatric depression and anxiety.

Depression and anxiety disorders are very common in the elderly. Data accumulated over the past 2 decades have shown that most older patients can tolerate and respond to acute treatment with serotonergic antidepressants, other psychotropic agents, or manual-based psychotherapy. However, outcomes under usual-care conditions remain poor. This review proposes that clinicians may significantly improve the long-term outcomes of their older patients with depression and anxiety by focusing on four key factors: (1) identification and treatment of comorbid conditions; (2) full remission of acute symptoms; (3) education of patients, families, and professional colleagues about the need for long-term treatment; and (4) prevention and management of medication side-effects.