Whelehans Health Blog

  Crohn’s disease is one of the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The second main form of inflammatory bowel disease is ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s disease causes inflammation (irritation, redness, swelling and pain) of the digestive system. Crohn’s is a chronic condition meaning it is persistent and long lasting with many experiencing it as an ongoing and life-long condition often with periods of remission (period when person is well) as well as periods of relapses or flare-ups. The exact cause is unknown; it is thought to be due to an immune response to perhaps the likes of bacteria...

Last week, as part of this case study I described dementia and the medications prescribed for the cognitive effects of demetia like memory loss. This week I discuss the medications prescribed for the psychological effects that can occur with dementia like agitation, anxiety and depression. I specifically deal with why they should be regularly reviewed.   Anti-psychotic drugs Antipsychotic drugs are frequently prescribed with the aim of reducing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in older people. In the UK, studies indicate up to 20% of patients diagnosed with dementia are prescribed anti-psychotics for PBSD. The first line treatment...

Polypharmacy is the prescribing of too many unnecessary or inappropriate medicines. Medications used to treat cardiovascular conditions (mainly high blood pressure and heart disease) are the most common medications contributing to polypharmacy.  In this article, I specifically deal with dementia and the often-numerous medication prescribed to control its symptoms has on a person’s health. My experience of dementia is that is has such a profound effect on both physical and mental health that few other conditions leads to polypharmacy (numerous medication prescribed) over such a short period of time. Dementia’s impact on health Dementia is an umbrella term used to...

Polypharmacy from a pharmacist’s perspective (Part 2)   This is a continuation of last week’s article. As discussed last week, medication has greatly improved our life expectancy and quality of life; however, the increase in use of numerous medications has many possible negative health consequences. Polypharmacy is the prescribing of too many unnecessary or inappropriate medicines.   Risk of Drug interactions A 2013 study of older hospitalised adults taking 5 or more medications indicated drug-drug interaction was as much as 80%. The probability of a drug-drug interaction increased with the number of medications prescribed. To be more specific, a patient...

Care of the elderly Polypharmacy from a pharmacist’s perspective (Part 1)   Polypharmacy is the prescribing of too many unnecessary or inappropriate medicines. Polypharmacy is not exclusive to older people, however due to the effect aging and “wear and tear” has on organs, the risk of polypharmacy increases as with age. There is no specific definition of polypharmacy but in general terms, polypharmacy is defined as the use of multiple drugs that is more than is medically necessary. There is no “standard cut of point” with regard numbers of medication prescribed to indicate polypharmacy. Medication has greatly improved our life...