Medication Management

Consider enrolling in medication management if you take several over-the-counter (OTC) medications and/or prescription drugs. Medication management reduces the risk of interactions and side effects. At Twin Ports Telemedicine based in Duluth, Minnesota, board-certified advanced family nurse practitioner Nikki Shockley, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, provides medication management via telehealth and home visits. Call Twin Ports Telemedicine today to schedule a medication management appointment, or book your visit online.

What is medication management?

Medication management is a primary care subspecialty that protects your health and promotes safety.

Up to 20% of Americans 40 and older take at least five medications to manage various health problems. That might not seem like a big deal, but mixing some drugs can affect how effective they are and increase the risk of severe complications.

Medication management aims to prevent these and other problems by monitoring all your medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, prescription drugs, vitamins, and nutritional supplements.

What does medication management involve?

At Twin Ports Telemedicine, Nikki provides medication management through telehealth and home visits.

During your first appointment, Nikki reviews a list of all the medications, vitamins, and supplements you take. Tell her if you drink alcohol or use drugs like marijuana and cocaine. Nikki won’t judge you; this information is crucial for developing a proper medication management strategy.

After gathering that information, Nikki looks at all of the drugs you take and assesses their safety profiles and potential for side effects and interactions. Combining some classes of drugs, like opioid painkillers and alcohol, for example, can slow your breathing and increase your risk of a heart attack, so Nikki makes sure to identify potentially deadly combinations.

Next, Nikki creates a personalized medication schedule for you to follow. The schedule explains when to take each medication, provides the proper dosage, and discusses special preparations, for example, if you should take the medication on a full or empty stomach.

For the best results, Nikki encourages you to keep your medication schedule in a visible place, like the refrigerator, and refer to it daily.

What benefits does medication management offer?

Medication management benefits people who take several medications, vitamins, and supplements. These benefits include:

• Fewer side effects
• Enhanced symptom management
• Improved health and well-being
• Convenience

Furthermore, medication management reduces your risk of hospitalization and death. When you take the proper medications and dosages and adhere to your personalized medication schedule, you’re far less likely to make medication errors and experience health-threatening interactions.

Does medication management include prescription refills?

Yes. Nikki regularly prescribes medication and medication refills to patients. If you run out of a specific drug, Nikki can typically provide a refill within 24-48 hours. Let her know 7-10 days before you expect to run out of a prescribed medication, and she can make sure your medicinal routine isn’t interrupted.

Call Twin Ports Telemedicine today to schedule a telehealth or at-home medication management appointment, or book your visit online.