Medication Management Services

Medication Management Services

Older adults often struggle to manage complicated medication regimens. This can lead to incorrect or missed doses, causing confusion, falls, hospitalizations and even death. Clients' health can stabilize and improve when prescribed medication is overseen by a licensed nurse, ensuring prescriptions are taken correctly and refilled on time.

Because OACM is licensed by the State of California as a Home Health Agency, our nurses are allowed to provide medication management under the direction of clients’ physicians, as a separate service.

OACM nurses visit clients in their homes and determine what medications have been prescribed as well as what over-the-counter supplements are being taken. Physicians are contacted to put their orders in writing, including method and frequency of intake. Nurses set up the medications in medication boxes so clients can better track which medications they have taken throughout each day. OACM nurses keep in contact with each physician and obtain additional orders when medications are added, changed or discontinued.

OACM Nursing Oversight

Nursing oversight allows clients, family members and caregivers to be aware of purposes, potential interactions and side effects of medications. OACM nurses, with physician’s orders, set up and monitor prescription and over-the-counter medications. They can call in and pick up new prescriptions and refills, or set up mail order delivery. This service insures the clients maintain a constant stock of prescribed medications and never miss a dose due to forgetting to refill a prescription. OACM nurses make regular home visits, generally every two weeks but possibly less often, depending on medication complexity, availability and changes.

Why Medication Management is Important

The number of medications available to treat both acute and chronic conditions has skyrocketed in the last twenty years, a generally positive development. However, adverse health consequences can occur if clients try to totally manage their own medication regimen. Recent statistics demonstrate the need for nursing assistance.

• 30% of hospitalizations for people 65 and over are related to lack of adherence to prescription directions
• 7,000 deaths per year in the US can be attributed to adverse effects of medication
• 35% of hospital admissions of the elderly are related to either medication non-compliance, under-medicating or over-medicating
• Less than 30% of older adults take their medications correctly
• By age 80, 70% of older adults have several chronic conditions and require additional medications, which can lead to confusion and more opportunities for adverse effects