NEW YORK: The introduction of one pharmacist per skilled nursing home nationwide could save millions per annum, according to a report.
The move could also reduce problems such as falls and the inappropriate use of psychotropic medicines.
The report claims that having one pharmacist and one GP responsible for all medicine in each skilled nursing home would save the sum by cutting down unnecessary hospital admissions and optimising medicine usage, on top of improving end-of-life care.
97% of skilled nursing home residents are prescribed medicine daily. 25% of residents were prescribed antipsychotics despite an audit’s findings that, in 58% of cases, the perils of the medicines outweighed the benefits.
In 26% of cases medicinal side effects increased the risk of patients falling and millions worth of medicines went unused each year.
But the real purpose of the pharmacist would be to find alternatives to the use of medicines, and in doing so improve the quality of life, instead of anaesthetising every challenge…