The Criteria For Selecting Medication For A Patient

SINCE World War II, medical science has progressed to a stage where competitive medications are available to treat the identical ailment in numerous people. This isn’t just about brands (which is a trade issue) but generic drugs (which is a scientific issue). On this report, we shall consider the various factors that decide your selection of a particular drug.

Safety: The following sub-criteria have to be considered within the criterion of safety:

* Acute therapeutic index: If the patient’s condition is acute, how effective is a particular drug even if they have certain side-effects so long as the acuteness of the condition is lowered? Example: narcotic pain-killers are amazing in healing pain but feature the possible side-effect of addiction.

* Long-term safety: medication directory could be safe in short-term treatment, so how safe it can be in long-term treatment? Example: antibiotics are acceptable in short-term treatment, but tend to have undesirable effects in the event of prolonged use.

* Drug-drug interaction risk: Medicines are chemicals, and several chemicals respond to make a different chemical, which has an effect that may harm the person or aggravate his/her condition. Example: A tricyclic anti-depressant and alcohol interact to make a new condition that warrants separate treatment.

Drug-drug interaction risk is of 2 types:

· Pharmacokinetic: In this type of drug-drug interaction, two drugs, outside of one another, have certain effects on one or more body processes (e.g., metabolism) that affects the performance of the other. Example: Darvocet-N (propoxyphene and acetaminophen) inhibits the act of a liver enzyme that Lexapro (escitalopram) depends upon due to the metabolism. This causes a rise in the side-effects of Lexapro.

· Pharmacodynamic: Here, two or more drugs actually make the same impact on the identical organ, thus enhancing the total, added effect. Example: Lexapro has certain side-effects like drowsiness and fatigue. Darvocet-N also acts similarly around the brain. Thus, the side-effects of both the prescription medication is more serious.

Tolerability: A drug could be effective although not tolerable by all patients. Example: Allergies to particular drugs in most people. Short-term and long-term tolerability must be considered. Efficacy: A drug is not equally effective in all patients. As an example, some patients with depression or panic disorders experience reduced escitalopram, but there are several who don’t, who therefore must be prescribed some other anti-depressant. The rate of onset of therapeutic action is a vital factor to be regarded too.

Cost: Cost doesn’t imply the cost of acquiring a specific medicine alone. It will also cover the cost of treating a complication that may arise by using some other drug. Example: Within a individual who insists on taking alcohol but has to be treated for depression is usually administered an SSRI drug as these drugs don’t potentiate the consequences of alcohol, whereas another group of anti-depressants (like tricyclics) can cause a brand new overuse injury in such patients, which would demand a various and expensive treatment. Therefore, it’s preferable to prescribe the more expensive escitalopram as opposed to a cheaper tricyclic in these patients.

Simplicity of treatment: The easiest mode of administration is preferred. If there is a selection between an injection and oral administration, the latter is preferred in the event the efficacy of both the modes is comparable. Or, local application is preferred to the oral route where possible; e.g., antibiotic treating eye infections. Dosage and frequency of administration too are a key factor to choose simplicity of treatment.
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