Understanding drug interaction is particularly important for caregivers, because many care recipients take multiple medications. This is especially true with elderly care recipients who consume almost 40 percent of all over-the-counter drugs and 30 percent of all prescription drugs.
A drug interaction is a change in the effect of a drug when it is taken with another drug, food, or substance. Because medications are prescribed to treat specific illnesses or symptoms, such changes mean that the drug is no longer effective, and in many cases, it could become very dangerous.
Drugs interact in a few ways, including:
* By increasing or decreasing drug absorption from the stomach and intestines
* By increasing or decreasing the rate at which the body breaks drugs down in the liver
* By increasing or decreasing the rate at which the drugs are excreted from the body by the kidneys
* By causing competing actions in the body
We are particularly pleased at being able to provide the data and tools to complete your patient medication profile. Â Let us know what you think about this feature and how it could be incorporated into your practice or agency.