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Posts Tagged ‘Personal Medication Record’

Personal Medication Record (PMR). By Pharmacy Intern, John Bishel (JB).

Hello, everyone. This is John, the intern, again blogging to you. Today, I wanted to talk about something important to everyone taking multiple medications. Many times, when I am asked about an over-the-counter therapy or a medication, the question of what other medications you are taking comes up. Whenever you go to the physician or hospital, one of the first things they will ask is what medications you are taking. An easy way to answer the questions is by providing a personal medication record (or PMR for short).

What is a PMR?

A PMR is a list of medications, including herbal supplements and vitamins, that you take. The PMR can also include other information such as allergies, who your primary care physician is, and other items that would be important upon a hospital admission or a visit to a new physician. The PMR can be a quick reference for the physician or pharmacist to help them make the best decision for you and avoid drug interactions that could cause you to not get the most out of your drugs or possibly put you at risk for harm.

Why have a PMR?

A PMR is a quick way to inform your healthcare practitioners of what you are taking, what you have taken, and what may be best for you. A common situation in today’s world is to have many doctors taking care of you. Many people have a cardiologist for heart health, a nephrologist for kidney health, a neurologist, oncologist, or endocrinologist. The list of specialists goes on and on. If your cardiologist places you on a drug, this could potentially effect what antibiotic your primary care doctor will prescribe, or what your endocrinologist will evaluate you for. One way to help inform your physicians and pharmacists quickly and easily is through a personal medication record, because we all know that healthcare professionals have limited time.

Where do I get a PMR?

There are many places to get a PMR. An easy way would be to print off and fill out a form from AARP, the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons.  Another option is to create one in Excel on the computer or ask one of your healthcare providers if they can print off a template for you. It takes a few minutes to fill out and can save you time and confusion whenever you go to the doctor.

Thanks, again, and feel free to stop in the drugstore with questions.

AARP Personal Medication Record:

http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/articles/learntech/wellbeing/medication-record.pdf