Patient Education: Understanding Responsibilities with Medications

Hi Vicky, R.N. Your post is interesting about the nurses' increasing responsibility on teaching the patient about medications, even OTC medications. Had you or any of the other readers ever considered that in the doctor's office settings when patient's are given new prescriptions, they are clueless about what the medication is, what it is for, how it is to be given and for how long, and worst yet; the side effects of the medications. Many times, I have admitted patients into the hospice program who have'nt a clue about what they are given the medication for. My own mother has gone to the medical doctor, received a new prescription and never knew what the medicaiton is for. She did'nt even ask. My take on this is, as nurses, let all make ourselves aware that patients; especially the elderly should be given a teaching on the medications they are prescribed. If the doctors would only invest in a licensed nurse to do medication teaching, we would see a vast improvement in the medical/nursing profession; perhaps more respect for what we do.
Coralyn Woodson,R.N.