Flash of Inspiration

 

Will you recognize that flash of inspiration when it appears.

An idea that falls out of the sky and, for some reason, this time, your mind-body connection grabs hold like never before.

July of 2011, I was working in our clinic pharmacy on the hospital campus. In walks a patient looking to ask a question.

Always, they would tell us, that the pharmacist at their big pharmacy was too busy to be bothered with medication questions.

This one time in particular, a patient had a question about the estrogen blocker called tamoxifen. As we know, this medication has many counseling points, as well as significant black box warnings.

The idea dropped and I caught it.

What if a patient or caregiver could visit a website, developed by a community pharmacist, and listen, in simple language, to all the FDA required counselling points about any specific medication?

The intention is not replace the important face-to-face counseling; however, provide the consumer with a baseline education so they may have a clear idea of what they do and do not understand about their medication.

Empower the patient or caregiver to engage their health care provider in an educated discussion about their medication treatment.

Increase medication related health literacy.

#healthliteracy #meded #patientsatisfaction