Managing Medications With Frequently Changing Schedules

Managing Medications With Frequently Changing Schedules

Occasionally you may find yourself in a position where the existing medications schedule has been changed prior to a new cycle. This is quite common among medications like warfarin or patches. 

More often than not, you will be tempted to simply edit the existing medications schedule to reflect the new schedule. Let us tell you why this is a bad idea.

• This will cause holes in your MAR as the current schedule was not adhered to from the start date of the medication.
• This will cause retrospective missed meds from the start date of the medication.
• This will cause your historical MAR reports to be inaccurate.

Owing to all the above undesirable effects, in the event you should come across a medication in this scenario, we would suggest the following process:

1) Create a new medication with the new schedule.

2) Transfer inventory from the existing medication to the new medication created.

3) Discontinue the existing medication.

Note: If the new prescription has a different strength, the existing medication inventory should be disposed of via drug disposal (ignore point 2) and received inventory should be added on to the new medication via Interim Check In or Monthly Check In.