Monitoring: to infinity and beyond!

BACKGROUND

For many patients, the initial prescription is only the beginning of the prescribing process, with the prescription needing to be repeated, sometimes for the life of the patient.

OBJECTIVE

This article discusses the factors to consider when reviewing a patient for a repeat prescription and some approaches to long term pharmacotherapy.

DISCUSSION

When writing repeat prescriptions it is important to take time to consider the physiological changes of aging, emergence of new contraindications in the patient, emergence of new evidence regarding drug therapy, and whether it is appropriate to consider drug withdrawal. The role of the pharmacist in the prescribing process, particularly in performing home medicine reviews, is also briefly discussed.