Reasons for Prescription Medications Being Wasted in Geriatric Outpatients

Are you trying to determine why a prescription medication for a geriatric outpatient ended up being wasted?

Did the condition being treated resolve before all of the medication was taken?

Did the patient stop taking the medication because it did not seem to be working?

Did the patient stop taking the drug because of adverse effects?

Is the patient compliant in taking medications?

Was there a change in the drug regimen, switching to another drug, dose or formulation?

Did the medication outdate?

Has the patient been hospitalized or did the patient die?

Do you tend to overprescribe?

Do you encourage and monitor compliance by the patient?

Do you keep track of medications prescribed for the patient, including those prescribed by other physicians?

Do you periodically ask the patient to bring in all medications for review?

Do you consider the possibility of side effects before prescribing for the patient?

Do you try a drug samples first to see if the patient can tolerate a medication?

Have you instructed the patient on how to store and manage medications?