الفهرس 
INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALEOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Some basic prescribing principles include:
• Evaluate the drug regimen of long term care residents on each regulatory visit.
o Ensure there is a reason (diagnosis) for every medication the patient is receiving.
o Determine whether each medication has led to a significant improvement in this patient. If not, consider discontinuing or changing.
o Evaluate if non-pharmacological treatments been tried for the diagnosis
o Is the patient on the right medications for that condition based on current guidelines?
o Assess the risks and benefits of each medication in the context of the individual patient
• Medication reconciliation at admission, readmission, transfer and discharge.
• Check for drug-drug, drug-disease and drug-food interactions. Include over the counter (OTCs), eye drops, topical, homeopathic/alternative remedies and nutritional supplements.
• Always consider potential interactions with other medications, especially warfarin, phenytoin, and antibiotics.
• Assess for side effects, specifically orthostatic hypotension, increased confusion, unsteadiness, falls, nausea, anorexia, constipation, depression, anxiety.
• Start low, go slow, but go all the way to achieve therapeutic benefit.