Welcome to the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW), Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Medication Administration Course for life sharers. This course was developed by the ODP Office of the Medical Director in conjunction with the Lifesharing Coalition and with technical assistance from Community Health Connections, the Western Pennsylvania Healthcare Quality Unit. This is lesson 6 What to expect when you take medication 1
Hello, I m Jill Morrow and I am the Medical Director for the Office of Developmental Programs. I ll be your presenter for this webcast. 2
This slide includes the learning objectives for lesson 6. In this lesson, you will be learning the effects that medication can have on the body and reviewing how you observe and report those effects. 3
Let s briefly look at the medication cycle again. Remember that reporting changes means communicating what you observe. We ll be talking about observing and reporting medication effects in this lesson. 4
Medication is an important part of healthcare. Each person is unique and medication is prescribed to meet their specific healthcare needs. Factors such as age, gender, body size, and internal functioning can and do alter the effects of medications and are taken into consideration by the prescribing healthcare practitioner. Medications may also interact with other medications and substances that the person is taking so it is essential that healthcare practitioners and pharmacists are aware of everything that the person is taking including prescription medication, non-prescription or over the counter medication and supplements. In addition, healthcare practitioners and pharmacists need to know about the person s allergies and previous adverse reactions to medication so they can determine the best medication to treat the person. Remember, it is your responsibility to observe and report the effects of medication. 5
Medication is used to prevent or control health problems, cure an illness, or relieve symptoms. Each time a medication is given, it could have a desired effect, an undesired effect, or no effect. An explanation of the types of effects along with examples follows. Desired Effects are the good and expected results from the medication. An example of a desired effect is treatment with an antibiotic medication for a sinus infection. After taking the medication for the prescribed number of times and days, the infection is gone. Sometimes a medication may have no effect. This occurs when the dose is too low or when the medication just doesn t work for the person. For example, if someone starts a medication to treat high blood pressure, but their blood pressure doesn t change, there was no effect to the medication. A higher dose or a different medication may work. Undesired Effects or Side Effects are the unwanted reactions to medication. Side effects will be discussed next. 6
Medication side effects can vary in intensity and type. A mild side effect is an unwanted reaction to a medicine that is generally not a cause for worry. For example, a person feels sick to his stomach after taking an antibiotic medication for a sinus infection. An adverse effect is an unexpected and serious effect that can be potentially harmful. An example of an adverse effect would be when a person becomes very sad and depressed after taking a new medication. A mild allergic reaction is an unwanted reaction that tends to be localized to one area or body function. It may not occur the first time someone takes the medication. Developing itchy, red skin after taking an antibiotic for a sinus infection is an example of a mild allergic reaction. A severe allergic reaction is an unwanted reaction that affects many body functions and areas. The reaction occurs quickly and is often life-threatening. A severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis occurs when the person develops severe hives, swelling around the lips and face, and has trouble breathing. This can occur after taking an antibiotic or other medication. 7
Whenever a medication is prescribed, it is your responsibility to understand what you should be observing and reporting. Using the example about the antibiotic medication given to treat a sinus infection, you would want to know what physical signs or symptoms indicate that the person is getting better. It is also important to know what potential side effects the person might have in response to that particular medication. You must have this information in order to determine if the person is responding well to the medication. 8
In observation, you will be looking for both signs and symptoms to see how medication is affecting the person. Signs are changes which can be clearly seen and measured. Some examples include fever, cough, weight loss, appetite loss, diarrhea, and rash. Symptoms are changes which are experienced or felt by the person. Some examples include pain, nausea, itching, and tenderness. In order to determine if a person is having symptoms, it is important to ask specific questions and to observe behaviors or body language (e.g., if someone is rubbing their head, they might have a headache). 9
Signs and symptoms related to physical and behavioral changes may be difficult to interpret. There can be many different reasons for the same symptoms. For example, loss of appetite may be an unwanted effect of a new medication or it may be related to an emotional event or a physical illness. By asking some questions, you may be able to obtain information that could be used by the healthcare practitioner in determining the cause of the problem. Interpreting physical and behavioral changes is the responsibility of trained specialists. Your responsibility is to observe and report any changes to the right person at the right time. This would include calling emergency services or 911 if necessary. Healthcare practitioners evaluate many people. They rely on your observations and reporting to obtain the full picture of what is happening with the person. Reports should be objective in nature giving specific information such as what the problem is, how often the problem occurs, when it occurs, what you have observed and what has been reported to you, any prior events that may have contributed to the problem, what helps, what makes it worse, etc. 10
The following information should be provided to the healthcare practitioner at each visit: 1. The person s medical records/history 2. Any history of allergies 3. Current medications being administered and for what reasons, including prescription and over the counter medications 4. Medical conditions not being treated by medication, information on recent hospitalizations or surgery 5. Reporting of any recent changes in physical or behavioral signs or symptoms Your observation and reporting of physical and behavioral changes will help to ensure the health and safety of the people you support. This concludes Lesson 6. Please return to the course and begin Lesson 7. 11