Reducing Prescriptions

The Internet is a double-edged sword: one side shows how patients can educate themselves on their illness and look up the correct type of treatment, while the other side predicts dire consequences from a common cold and recommends medication for any illness — whether it is borne of bacteria or a virus. As a physician, you used to prescribe medication, but these days it seems you are explaining why some prescriptions are unnecessary. ReactDx, your MCT patch team, has suggestions on how to defer patient prescriptions and determine whether ongoing medication is truly necessary.

Analyzing Current Prescriptions

Cardiologists are primarily concerned with older patients whose needs change year-to-year. Elderly patients are a tremendous concern since they may have been prescribed medication decades ago that is no longer medically critical or not meeting their current health needs. These patients often take several medications daily at the insistence of various physicians. At the time, the medications were assigned, they were advantageous. But technology has created better medications with less serious side effects that may meet patient needs with greater success. Likewise, as patients age, their metabolism slows and medication uptake is not as accurate. Weight changes, as well as physical exertion, and their medication generally remains stagnant. New symptoms bring about another round of prescriptions and preventive medications may be prescribed. 

Consider All Medications

A cardiologist’s primary concern is heart medications, but other prescriptions may stimulate or suppress cardiac medications and must also be assessed. Patient portals are helpful in this respect, but only when the patient’s current medications are listed along with dosages prescribed. If a patient’s physician is outside the portal you are utilizing, though, the information may be lost and you must rely on the patient’s memory and hand-drawn list of medications to draw conclusions on your best course of treatment.

Medications have sharply decreased heart attacks, strokes, and symptoms of diabetes. Rather than assigning every patient with atrial fibrillation the same medication, look closely at all current medications. You may find your patient is taking a regimen of half a dozen prescriptions when only two are necessary. Use medications after other methods of care are exhausted, such as a change in diet or amount of daily exercise. The sheer amount of medications prescribed could curtail immeasurably if patients were prescribed lifestyle changes rather than pills. Keep up with the latest cardiovascular health news by reading our blogs, and contact the MCT patch specialists, ReactDx, online or at 800-23-HEART.

Jodi is a seasoned Human Resources professional who thrives on change and transformation. She fell in love with Human Resources when she attended Penn State University for graduate school in Public Administration with a curriculum that emphasized Human Resources. After earning her Master’s degree she began her career in the manufacturing industry in Talent Acquisition and was eventually assigned the overall HR Management responsibility of three divisions which included collective bargaining. Ultimately, she made her way to transitioning a new division of a Fortune 100 company under the corporate model as well as developing and executing Human Resources policies and procedures across a broad range of functional disciplines. At the next juncture of her career, she was tapped on the shoulder by former Executives that she previously worked with to join in on an exciting start-up. Today, Jodi is the Vice President of Talent Relations and Development for Medicomp Inc dba ReactDx and is responsible for managing the strategic Human Resources function which includes mergers and acquisitions for this rapidly expanding company.

Jodi and her husband enjoy landscaping, finding new restaurants and traveling whenever life gives them the opportunity.

    *This form is intended for sales inquiries/information only. Do not include any patient health information (PHI) with your submission.

    On: all lights. Off: no light. Monitoring - Good: green light. Symptom press: green light, sound. Check Pendant: blue light. Check Battery: red light, sound.
    Do: wear always, fully insert in cradle, turn off to charge, dry, key near handset, return promptly. Don't: discard pendant, submerge, move patch