For better patient results, healthcare needs to be both efficient and healthy. Medication management is very important and includes everything from prescribing to reviewing medications. It affects the quality of life, patient safety, treatment commitment, and the use of resources.

Medication management, like My Medadvisor, stops mistakes and bad reactions from happening, which keeps patients safe. Fixing problems with patients sticking to their treatments is very important for making them work better and lowering the cost of healthcare. Taking care of medications properly can help people stay healthy, reduce hospital stays, and improve their lives.

The significance of medication management

Below, it talks about how managing patients’ medications keeps them safe, helps them stick to their treatments, makes better use of healthcare resources, and raises their quality of life.

Ensuring patient safety

• Reducing medication errors. A big problem in healthcare is that confusion, wrong dosages, or drug interactions often cause these mistakes. Medication management procedures that work are very important for reducing these mistakes, keeping patients safe from harm, and lowering the costs and legal issues that come with them.
• Preventing adverse drug reactions. Bad medication control can cause very bad drug reactions. Medication management finds and stops dangerous drug interactions and allergies, which lowers the risk of adverse reactions. This keeps patients safe and ensures they get their treatments’ benefits.

Promoting treatment adherence

Adhering to a patient’s recommended medication schedule is still a problem in healthcare. This problem is dealt with by medication management strategies that use educational programmes and personalised methods to help patients understand and follow through on their treatment plans. Medication management improves health by encouraging people to take their medications as prescribed.

Optimising healthcare resources

Managing medications well is a cost-effective way to improve healthcare. By cutting down on medication errors and the problems they cause, like having to go back to the hospital, healthcare workers can avoid having to do expensive interventions. This helps healthcare systems and makes it easier for patients to pay for care, making healthcare more affordable.

Enhancing quality of life

Good medication control aims to improve the quality of life for people with long-term health problems. Taking care of medications correctly lowers the number of symptoms and improves health in general.

This gives people the power to live full lives without having to deal with the problems that come with having health issues that are out of control. Medication management is more than just clinical care; it includes the whole person’s health.

Factors affecting medication management

Medication management is a multifaceted process influenced by various factors that can be categorised into three main groups:

Patient-related factors

• Health literacy. Medication management is greatly affected by how well a patient understands health issues. People who don’t know much about health can have trouble reading prescription labels, following dosing instructions, and figuring out possible side effects. This can make drug mistakes more likely.
• Cognitive and physical abilities. The mental and physical skills of the patient are very important in how well they can handle their medications. Cognitive problems can make it hard to follow complicated dosing plans, and physical problems can make it hard to give medications.

Socioeconomic status

Socioeconomic factors, such as income, insurance coverage, and access to healthcare tools, greatly affect how medications are managed. Patients who don’t have a lot of money may have trouble getting their medications, which could cause them to stop taking them or switch medicines because of the cost.

Medication-related factors

• Complexity of medication regimens. It can be hard for patients to keep track of their medicines when their schedules are too complicated or they must take more than one at different times. Complexity often leads to missed doses or incorrect giving, which could make the treatment less effective.
• Polypharmacy. Taking more than one drug simultaneously can cause drug interactions and raise the risk of side effects, especially in older adults with more than one chronic disease. In these situations, managing medicines means keeping a close eye on them, making sure they are all in order, and, if possible, cutting down on the number of medications to lower risks.
• Medication cost. Medications can make it hard to stick to a treatment plan. People who can’t afford prescription drugs may cut back on or skip doses, which can be very bad for their health.

Healthcare system-related factors

• E-prescribing and EMR systems. Electronic medical record (EMR) and electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) systems have made handling medications easier. These systems improve prescription accuracy, allow real-time access to patient information, lower medication errors, and make it easier for healthcare providers to work together.
• Pharmacist involvement. Pharmacists help patients stay safe and take their medications as prescribed by working with other healthcare professionals to handle medication therapy, review medications, and give patients medication counselling.
• Medication therapy management (MTM) programmes. MTM programmes ensure patients with complex needs get the most out of their medication regimens. Often, pharmacists work closely with patients to review their medications, find problems, and make necessary changes. This ensures that medications are used safely and effectively, especially for people with more than one chronic condition.

Economic benefits

Efficient medication management enhances patient well-being and delivers substantial economic advantages.

• Lower healthcare costs. Medication errors and complications can add to healthcare costs, but good medication control can cut those costs. Healthcare workers can cut down on wasteful spending by reducing hospital readmissions, trips to the emergency room, and the need for expensive interventions. This economic comfort helps patients by lowering out-of-pocket costs, making healthcare more affordable.
• Increased productivity. Good management of medications has a positive effect on how productive workers are. People who are good at taking care of their health problems are less likely to need to take long periods of sick leave or have to deal with less work output because their symptoms aren’t under control.

This benefit goes beyond the individual level because healthier workers lead to fewer absences and higher total workplace efficiency, which benefits businesses and the economy.

Quality of life and wellness

Efficient medication management is intrinsically intertwined with patients’ quality of life and overall well-being.

• Reduced symptom burden. Taking care of medications can make the signs of long-term health problems easier to deal with. When patients do exactly what their doctors tell them to do, they have fewer symptoms and more comfort, which improves their quality of life and makes it easier for them to do daily tasks.
• Enhanced overall health. Taking care of your medications properly is good for your general health. When medicines are taken as prescribed, chronic conditions can be better managed, which could help avoid complications and hospital stays. This better health gives patients the freedom to live fuller, more active lives without having to deal with the problems that come with health issues that aren’t under control.

Patients may also be less reliant on medical treatments, improve their health, and ease the strain on healthcare resources by taking better care of themselves.

Improved medication management in healthcare

Efficiency and health are two important parts of healthcare that work hand-in-hand and support each other. The administration of medications is the link between these parts. People can better care for their health conditions when they can handle their medications efficiently and effectively, which may lower the number of hospitalisations and readmissions. 

Besides the health and financial advantages, it raises the quality of life by lessening the effects of symptoms, improving general health, and letting patients live fuller lives.

Jeffrey Grant, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.