Medications can be confusing, especially if you take several. If you feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone — even medical professionals mess up.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that more than 350,000 nursing home residents and over 2.2 million hospital patients have adverse drug reactions (ADRs), leading to 106,000 deaths annually.
That means ADRs kill more people than heart disease, accidents, diabetes, and pneumonia, making it the fourth-leading cause of death.
That’s unacceptable. ADRs are 100% preventable, and we can help you avoid becoming part of those tragic statistics.
HouseCall MD offers a safer way to manage your medications and a new way to see your doctor. We call our model of health care concierge medicine, but many of our patients simply call it a house call.
We blend the best of old-fashioned personal care with the best advances in modern medicine to manage your health and your medications in the comfort of your home.
Dr. Shahriar Jarchi, our board-certified internist, specializes in the unique needs of seniors and understands how confusing medications can be. That’s why we offer medication management to all of our patients throughout the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Here’s how it works.
As you age, your risk for developing chronic illnesses increases, and many folks have more than one condition requiring medications. The technical term for this is polypharmacy, the use of multiple prescription drugs, and it can lead to serious problems.
If you can read the fine print on your prescription medicine containers, you’ll see that many come with detailed instructions and warnings. Some must be taken with food, others on an empty stomach. Some medications don’t mix well with alcohol, citrus fruits, or other medications and supplements.
At best, taking your medications incorrectly may render them ineffective; at worst, it can lead to serious illness, injury, or death.
If you have multiple medical conditions and see several doctors who don’t communicate with each other, you may take more medication than you need. Excessive medications can be more harmful than beneficial.
In addition to ADRs, overprescribing can lead to cognitive impairment and an increased risk of falls.
If you already have a mental illness, the burden of managing multiple medications can exacerbate your symptoms and make it even more challenging to follow complicated drug directions.
This common but tragic problem prompted the National Institute on Aging to fund a task force called the US Deprescribing Research Network, which is charged with improving the quality of health care for older adults by investigating the practice of overprescribing.
It’s common for older folks to forget to take their medication, take too much medication, or fail to refill their prescription.
Some seniors hoard, borrow or share their medications. Though well-intended, these practices can lead to overdose, ADRs, and addiction, mask the underlying cause of a condition, trigger new health problems, or worsen an existing condition.
Taking multiple medications is a huge responsibility, but Dr. Jarchi and our team take that burden off your shoulders by offering the following services.
We meet you at your house, gather all of your medications, and document them, including the dosage, the time of day to be taken, and the potential side effects. We also record all of the vitamins, supplements, and over-the-counter medications you take, as they can interact with certain medications.
This enables us to identify possible drug interactions and organize your medications in an easy-to-follow routine that ensures you take the right medication at the right time.
Do you know why you take the medications in your cabinet? We’ve found that many of our patients don’t. But we believe that knowledge is power, so we explain the reason behind each medication and how your body uses it to treat your condition. We also talk with your loved ones and caregivers, so everyone is on the same page.
Understanding the benefits and side effects puts you in control of your health and reduces the risk of self-prescribing and overdosing.
Many seniors see multiple physicians and specialists, making health care even more confusing. A primary doctor can serve as your “home base,” but not all have the time or resources to oversee the care you receive outside their office — we do.
The HouseCall MD team facilitates communication between all of your doctors to ensure your medications are necessary and still relevant. If you don’t have one already or want to change, Dr. Jarchi can be your new primary care physician.
We also help you transition home after discharge from the hospital, where you likely saw several hospitalists who each gave you new information and new medications.
To schedule a home visit with Dr. Jarchi and our medication management team, call 626-765-4321 or request an appointment using our online booking tool.