Some of the patients we see here at KindlyMD are happy to get their Utah Med Cards and go on their way. They need minimal assistance from us to utilize plant-based medicines effectively. But most patients do better when medication management is included. For that reason, we make medication management a priority.
In the simplest possible terms, medication management is the practice of developing and implementing a plan to take medications safely and effectively. While DIY medication management is entirely possible, patients get the most out of it when they work with trained professionals who understand both the human body and the medications patients are taking.
Whether a patient is utilizing plant-based medicines in concert with a Medical Card or consuming prescription medications, the starting point for medication management is understanding the medications themselves. Clinicians need to know:
The good news is that trained clinicians are pretty familiar with this kind of stuff. If they ever run into a medication they are not familiar with, they have access to numerous professional resources that will answer all their questions.
The patient's role in medication management is taking their medications as prescribed. When it comes to a traditional prescription, doing so is as easy as reading the label and following its instructions. Things are a little different when it comes to plant-based medicines.
Plant-based medicines are not prescribed with the same types of rigid instructions. So patients with a Med Card need to consult with their medical providers to come up with a plan for how plant-based medications will be used. Once a plan has been devised, it is in the patient's best interest to follow that plan, at least until the next visit with the provider.
As you may have guessed, communication between patient and provider is critical. Medication management depends on both parties being forthright and honest. It requires a type of communication that holds nothing back. Needless to say that honesty is the best policy. It is followed closely by openness and transparency.
From the patient's perspective, it is important to inform medical providers about how medications make them feel. This is especially true in the arena of Med Cards and plant-based medicines. Medical providers need to know how plant-based medicines are affecting their patients. They can only know if patients tell them.
Communication and plan modification are helped considerably when patients track medication consumption. A simpler way to explain it is to say that patients should write down when they take their medications, what the dosage was, and how they felt afterward. Tracking is appropriate for both traditional prescription medications and plant-based medicines.
Tying everything together is the idea of modifying plans as needed. This is where medication management earns its keep, so to speak. Rather than continuing the practice of overprescribing for the sake of doing so, medication management calls for modifying plans based on two things: results and science.
No medication plan is absolutely perfect. Furthermore, few clinicians get it right the first time. Medication management requires flexibility and a willingness to admit when a plan isn't working out as expected.
Medication management is something we make a priority here at KindlyMD. Whether you have your Utah Medical Card or not, we can help you get a handle on your medications so that you don't become just another patient subject to the consequences of overprescribing.
