unit 8 assignment
CASE 1
A patient calls the physician’s office because she is concerned that her prescription medication looks different from what she normally takes. She mentions that her co-pay was lower too.
1. What are some initial questions you should ask the patient to gather information the physician might need?
- I would first ask her what the name of the prescription is that she has and what she is taking them for. Also, it would be helpful to know the color, shape, and any numbers or letters that are imprinted on the pill.
2. Critically evaluating the situation, what are three possible explanations of the difference in appearance and cost of the medication?
- It is highly like that the medication is a generic for what she normally takes. Insurance companies will sometimes switch to a more cost effective brand. Different manufacturers can change the appearance of a pill as well. Also, depending on where you pick up your medication; some places automatically give generics depending on the insurance you have. If your doctor switched dosage or strength this may change the way the pill looks as well.
3. The patient describes the tablet’s appearance and the markings on it. If the physician were to ask your assistance in identifying the medication (which you would present to him/her for verification) what are three possible sources to determine the identity of the medication?
- To find out the information I would use the PDR (Physician’s desk reference) to identify the medication as well as check the patient’s medical record. You can easily look this up online as well by typing in the description of the pill. There are websites specifically for identifying pills.
A patient calls the physician’s office because she is concerned that her prescription medication looks different from what she normally takes. She mentions that her co-pay was lower too.
1. What are some initial questions you should ask the patient to gather information the physician might need?
- I would first ask her what the name of the prescription is that she has and what she is taking them for. Also, it would be helpful to know the color, shape, and any numbers or letters that are imprinted on the pill.
2. Critically evaluating the situation, what are three possible explanations of the difference in appearance and cost of the medication?
- It is highly like that the medication is a generic for what she normally takes. Insurance companies will sometimes switch to a more cost effective brand. Different manufacturers can change the appearance of a pill as well. Also, depending on where you pick up your medication; some places automatically give generics depending on the insurance you have. If your doctor switched dosage or strength this may change the way the pill looks as well.
3. The patient describes the tablet’s appearance and the markings on it. If the physician were to ask your assistance in identifying the medication (which you would present to him/her for verification) what are three possible sources to determine the identity of the medication?
- To find out the information I would use the PDR (Physician’s desk reference) to identify the medication as well as check the patient’s medical record. You can easily look this up online as well by typing in the description of the pill. There are websites specifically for identifying pills.