Taking a good medication history

[Bulletproof]

Can anyone please give me a guide to taking a patient medication history, on wards.
Cheers

[Nik]

Check out Clinical Pharmacist - there was an article in the Jan issue.

[Bulletproof]

Thank you.

[jamesbt]

Ensure you ask about herbal remedies, inhalers and prescribed eye drops.
Also ask whether they have stopped any regular medication in the last month or so, you never know it may give some useful information.

James

[angeldelight]

Also ask about regular use of non-prescription items - OTC painkillers, antacids etc. And creams/ointments

[Bulletproof]

Thank you very much!

[Teethlai]

but sometime it's a bit tricky when it comes to different patients... they tend to tell different people different things... one time.. i asked a patient specifically did she take any regular medication, like pills (contraceptives), use any inhalers, eye drops, or buy any OTC, herbal medicines? she said NO... then i went to find her notes and rang her GP, she was on folic acid and ferrous fumarate for months....