Compiling The Personal Medication Record
The Personal Medication Record - Part III
[This is the third in a series of AlignMap posts offering pragmatic tips for decreasing unintentional medication noncompliance (i.e., errors in taking medication) with methods now available. It is also the follow-up to The Personal Medication Record - Part I:Everyone Needs A Personal Medication Record and The Personal Medication Record - Part II:Choosing The Right Personal Medication Record.]
Compiling The Personal Medication Record
1. Decide which data to enter into your Personal Medication Record based on its utility to you and your healthcare providers, not on the slots and prompts of a form.
2. Enter information. especially personal identifying data, only if it yields a distinct advantage that outweighs the risk of privacy invasion and fraud.
3. Revise your Personal Medication Record immediately if there is any change in the medications you take, regardless of why the change took place. An outdated PMR may not only be inaccurate but also dangerous.
Not Too Much Data, Not Too Little Data, Just The Right Data
Despite the simplicity of the fundamental concept of a Personal Medication Record, which is, after all, at its heart only a gussied up list of the medications you take, the choice of which information is entered into a PMR can is neither obvious or insignificant.
A Personal Medication Record can be significantly diminished in value if certain information is not included, yet if every imaginably useful data point is required, it can become so complex that errors are generated and so burdensome that one avoids using it. Entering still other specific information (as prompted in some formats) puts the PMR’s owner at risk for fraud and other abuse.
The precise content of your PMR may be influenced by multiple factors, such as your heath status, support system, economic situation, relationship with those treating you, etc. Your degree of concern about the privacy of your data and the potential for fraud also play a role in this decision. The important issue is that it is indeed a decision for you to make. That a given PMR form has a space indicated for your Social Security Number, for example, does not mean that you entering that information is a good idea.
Consequently, rather than list a one size fits all protocol, my goal is instead to assist you in deciding which information to include in your PMR. Toward that end, have listed all the data categories from the PMRs I’ve researched in one of four classifications: Essential Personal Medication Record Information, Non-essential Information With High Potential Utility, Non-essential Information With Possible Utility, and Optional Information of Limited Utility That Incurs Privacy Risks.
Group A: The Essential Personal Medication Record Information
- Date of PMR creation and of most recent update
- Patient’s name
- Primary physician’s name and contact information
- Emergency contact information
- Medication* name, strength, and directions for use
- The reason for taking the medication (e.g., “for high blood pressure” “precaution against infection secondary to dental work”)
- Allergies and other medicine-related problems
*Include all medications, including those taken only occasionally, (e.g., medication for pain) or seasonally (e.g., allergy medication), over the counter drugs, vitamins and dietary supplements, herbal medicines, and samples)
Group B: Non-essential Information With High Potential Utility
- Medication issues and precautions (e.g., “Take with food” “Avoid sunlight”)
- Start date of currently used medications
- Stop date of discontinued medications
- Non-medication healthcare supplies (e.g., blood glucose test strips for diabetics, CPAP settings)
- Pharmacist’s name and contact information
- Prescriber name(s) and contact information
- Age (Not birth date)
- List of current medical problems
Group C: Non-essential Information With Possible Utility
- Illustration or description of medication’s appearance
- Specific notation whether generic or brand name of the medicine is taken
- Date of last vaccinations
Group D: Optional Information That Incurs Privacy Risks
- Social security number
- Insurance Information (e.g., Company, Group Number, Policy Number)
- Birth date (Listing age is not a significant privacy risk; birth date is)
- Location where medications can be found in home
- Address
- Home phone number
- Cell number
- Date of birth
Instructions For Use Of Personal Medication Record
- Create and maintain a separate Personal Medication Record for each individual.
- Carry a current copy of your Personal Medication Record with you at all times
- Bring extra copies to any healthcare appointment, including pharmacy visits
- If there is any change in the medications you take, regardless of why the change took place, immediately revise your Personal Medication Record and change the “Last Revised” date. It is also essential to send an updated copy of your PMR to your primary physician and your pharmacist. Finally, destroy all copies of the now outdated PMR.
- Take care to spell medication names exactly as they are listed on their labels (many different medications have similar names) and and list their dosages and the frequency with which they taken accurately. If you cannot do so or if you are unsure, bring all your medications, including over the counter drugs, herbs, and vitamins with you to the doctor or pharmacist to receive help in completing the list.
- If your understanding of your medication regimen is not identical to the information in your PMR, ask your physician or pharmacist for clarification; prompting questions and facilitating enlightenment is an excellent use of PMRs
- Keep one copy of your PMR with you at all times, another copy in a safe, easy to find place (e.g., in an envelope taped under the dash or seat of your car), and another with your emergency contact. Replace all copies if the medications you take change. These paper copies of your PMR are necessary even if it is available online (in that case, print out copies).
Additional Instructions For Use Of On-line Personal Medication Record
- Arrange for your physician to receive instructions to access your on-line PMR. Check that your physician’s office received them and has actually completed the procedure to assure they can access your PMR
- Change your password no less often than every three months
Next
The next and final Personal Medication Record post is the account of how I chose a PMR for my own use, completed it, and have put it to use, drawing on the information in the first 3 Personal Medication Record posts.
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