Rx Note

Introduction Medical/health records form an essential part of a patient’s present and future health care. As a written collection of information about a patient's health and treatment, they are used essentially for the present and continuing care of the patient. In addition, medical records are used in the management and planning of health care facilities and services, for medical research and the production of health care statistics. Examples include Bed head ticket (BHT) Investigation result ECG Consent Prescription slips or medication chart Medical certificate Importance Provide information of patient and his illness' management as well as ensuring continuity of care. Provide evidence for billing and coding. The legal material used to protect both patient and health care professionals in the event of disagreement over care. Key Reminders A general ‘rule of thumb’ is that in the eyes of the law, if a detail is not recorded, it cannot be proven to have happened. This includes...

Introduction Every day, patients enter a pharmacy, requesting remedies for their ailments. Some may have initial ideas about their condition. However, as frontline healthcare providers, community pharmacists must carefully assess the symptoms presented by patients, make clinical decisions for minor ailments, and refer patients to doctors when necessary. However, there are some factors that make this clinical decision particularly challenging for us. Poor knowledge and skill in differential diagnosis Lack of access to patient's medical history or full medications profile Some patients did not disclose sufficient history of presenting illness , due to poor health literacy, perceived lack of privacy, stigma and embarrassment, language barrier, fear of discrimination, cultural beliefs and practices or past negative experiences with healthcare. Unavailability of diagnostic testing The symptoms may be presented on behalf of another people A detailed conversation needs to be initiated P...

Introduction Artificial intelligence has been both feared and embraced as an essential component of technology. While some have worried that AI could eventually lead to the extinction of humanity, others have been fascinated by the possibilities it presents. AI Chatbots In 2023, there have been exciting developments in the field of AI, including the launch of conversational AI models such as ChatGPT by OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot and Gemini . These tools can generate plausible-sounding yet precise answers to a wide range of questions. In fact, ChatGPT may pass law school , medical school , or MBA exam. However, the rise of AI also raises concerns about job displacement and the potential for cheating in education. While ChatGPT offers impressive capabilities, it will not replace Google Search , because Life is complicated and conflicting in nature, saturated with grey areas. Humans like to hear a second opinion. Since ChatGPT was trained on a diverse range of text data (with no accur...

Introduction In community pharmacy, there are often customers who come in with specific product requests, instead of seeking professional advice for their symptoms. Nonetheless, this does not mean they are always making the correct choice. In other words, the person making the request might already be an expert user or may be a novice. Why? This type of purchasing behaviour can be due to several factors. From past experience The customer has found a particular product successful in treating a recurrent condition and is familiar with its signs and symptoms. The customer has taken advice from family, friends or Mr Google . Although with good intention, advice from friends or relatives could be harmful sometimes. Some information from online sources or social media can be inaccurate or of poor quality, and some can create unrealistic beliefs and expectations. The influence of heavy advertising of branded products. Investigate the Needs As a healthcare professional, pharmacists should ma...

Introduction Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients . The practice of evidence-based medicine means integrating individual clinical practice with the best available external clinical evidence systematic research. The essential steps include: To convert our information needs into answerable questions (i.e. to formulate the problem ); To track down, with maximum efficiency , the best evidence with which to answer these questions - which may come from the clinical examination, the diagnostic laboratory, the published literature or other sources; To appraise the evidence critically to assess its validity and usefulness; To implement the results of this appraisal in our clinical practice; To evaluate our performance NOTE: EBM does not mean we justify our approach to a particular problem by citing the results section of a single published study, without critically a...

Introduction In an online CME, a pharmacist in the audience asked the doctor speaker how to overcome the barrier that prevents patients from willingly discussing contraception options at the community pharmacy. The doctor responded that having a separate counselling room within the community pharmacy would be the first crucial step. This private space would make patients feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics like contraception. Patient Expectations Matters related to health and illness are highly private affairs. Although some patients are comfortable discussing sensitive topics at the pharmacy counter, pharmacists should prioritize privacy and foster a confidential environment . Pharmacists should use professional judgment and experience to recognize patient hesitancy or embarrassment, and suggest moving to a private area, such as a consultation room, for further discussion. Also, pharmacists and pharmacy staff are expected to maintain the confidentiality of any patient o...

Introduction "The Mountain Is You" by Brianna Wiest explores the concept of self-sabotage, examining the internal conflicts and unmet needs that drive behaviours impeding progress and happiness. Ultimately, the journey is not about conquering external mountains, but mastering the self. The Nature of Life's Challenges Even when life presents challenges, discomfort, and change, it often works towards our benefit. Problems can serve as powerful catalysts for personal growth. The breakdown experienced at rock bottom can be the transformative tipping point leading to a breakthrough or an awakening to long-standing issues. Mountains have long been used metaphorically to represent spiritual awakenings, personal growth journeys, and the seemingly insurmountable challenges we face. These mountains manifest as relationship issues, career obstacles, financial difficulties, debilitating low self-esteem, pervasive fear, or general discontentment. However, the true barrier is often th...