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About
the Medication Management Project
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The American Medical Directors Association and the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists have established an advisory committee to explore strategies for improving the use of medications in long-term care settings. The initiative is called the Multidisciplinary Medication Management Project. The goal of the project is to foster collaboration among consultant pharmacists, medical directors, attending physicians, and other health professionals in long-term care to improve the prescribing, monitoring, and use of medications in residents. The project began with a meeting at the AMDA office in December 2000. Participants shared observations about issues and challenges associated with medication use in long-term care, and then brainstormed ideas for strategies to address these concerns.
"Information gathering is an important issue, and we expect that the tools and information we’ll be providing through this initiative will help address this challenge," says Jacob Dimant, MD, CMD, project chair. "The answer to many medication management issues lies in education. We need to push education to a new level and get beyond ‘preaching to the choir.’ " The group has conducted a survey of medical directors and consultant pharmacists to identify ten drug interactions that involve medications commonly used in older adults and are potentially dangerous. These "Top Ten Drug Interactions" will be published by both ASCP and AMDA and wallet cards will be provided to members of both organizations with a list of these drug interactions. A second component of the project is a web-based focus on medication-related problems (MRPs) in nursing facility residents. Approximately every two months, a specific MRP will be posted at http://www.scoup.net, with links from the AMDA and ASCP web sites, along with resource materials to empower consultant pharmacists and medical directors to address these MRPs in their facilities. "Along with education, practical tools and resources are an important element in promoting positive changes in behavior of health professionals," says Tom Clark, RPh, MHS, ASCP’s Director of Professional Affairs. "For each MRP addressed, a packet of resource materials will enhance the ability of the medical director and consultant pharmacist to work together to improve medication use in the facility." Another planned element is the development of an information kit on "Medication Management in Long-Term Care", including guidelines for practitioners and team members regarding identification of adverse drug reactions and suggested reporting systems and strategies for response. Stay tuned for further updates as the project progresses. |
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| Project Coordinators: | ||
| Thomas R. Clark, RPh, MHS Director of Professional Affairs American Society of Consultant Pharmacists 1321 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 703-739-1316, x 123 FAX: 703-739-1321 TClark@ascp.com |
Jacqueline Vance, RNC Director of Clinical Affairs American Medical Directors Association 10480 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 760 Columbia, MD 21044 Tel: 410-740-9743 FAX: 410-740-4572 JacquelineVance@amda.com |
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The Multidisciplinary Medication Management Project is supported, in part, by an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline.
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