Palliative Medicine – Advancing Patient Care
Over the last decade or so health care delivery has consistently shifted. Patients are being treated more with person centered care, seeing the person beyond the chronic disease. In light …
Rose Garden
Who am I?
The rise of direct to consumer genetic testing kits has opened the door to a wealth of information for patients. DNA samples collected by these direct to consumer kits can …
Balancing Emotional and Physical Health
By: Beth Biedrzycki, Pharm. D., BCGP at Personal Care Medical Associates Like many Americans I routinely turn on the evening news after work to catch on the day’s events. It …
Spring Cleaning the Medicine Cabinet
Written by: Beth Biedrzycki, Pharm. D., BCGP, at PCMA Every spring we are reminded to check the batteries in our smoke detectors and move our clocks ahead as part of …
Staying Safe in Winter
Winter safety can be challenging for able bodied people, so it isn’t a surprise that it can be especially challenging for the elderly. Cold Temperatures, snow, ice and wind all …
Shingles
Shingles is a painful, itchy rash that develops on one side of the body that can last up to four weeks. It is caused by a reactivation of the varicella …
One Pill, Two Pill, Red Pill, Blue Pill
With the amount of medication that is prescribed to the elderly it is not surprising that many patients are overwhelmed, which can lead to nonadherence. Medication nonadherence is the practice …
Mitigating Fall Risk For Older Adults
Falls are not a normal part of the aging process. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 25% of older adults fall each year. These …
Don’t Leave Out the Flu Shot this Fall
As the leaves start to turn autumnal colors, adults and children alike need to get vaccinated against the flu. People 65 years and older are at a greater risk for …
Polypharmacy: A Prescription for Chaos
Polypharmacy is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “the practice of administering many different medicines especially concurrently for the treatment of a single disease” and “the concurrent use of multiple medications by a patient to treat usually coexisting conditions and which may result in adverse drug interactions.” Pharmacists encounter polypharmacy daily, with elderly patients taking 10, […]