Citation

Fincham JE, Nissenbaum RS. Journal of Pharmacoepidemiology 1991; 2(1): 79-85.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991)

DOI

10.1300/J055V02N01_07

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

An extreme case of polypharmacy in a 58 year old female is presented in which the patient had twenty-two prescriptions filled over a one month period of time. This over prescribing and casual dispensing led to the hospitalization of the patient with diagnoses of drug overdose (potential suicide) and nonspecific gastroenteritis (eventual bowel obstruction). The patient was prescribed these prescriptions by two physicians (all but two by her primary care physician) and all the prescriptions were filled at one pharmacy. Just how often the scenario played out here by two professionals and a patient actually occurs is hard to quantitate, but it may be much more common than anyone cares to admit. Physicians and pharmacists would do well to examine this adventure and contemplate how best to avoid such a tragedy in their own practices.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; female; case report; drug use; hospitalization; drug overdose; levothyroxine; pharmacy; article; primary medical care; prescription; doxepin; fluoxetine; diazepam; potassium chloride; drug blood level; theophylline; estrogen; midazolam; ibuprofen; pethidine; intravenous drug administration; metoclopramide; intestine obstruction; diclofenac; metronidazole; metoprolol; hydrocodone; carisoprodol; guaifenesin; orciprenaline; nifedipine; loperamide; hydrochlorothiazide; intramuscular drug administration; aluminum magnesium hydroxide; atropine plus diphenoxylate; oral drug administration; chlordiazepoxide plus clidinium bromide; inhalational drug administration; isoetarine; phenyltoloxamine; pseudoephedrine plus triprolidine; psyllium hydrocolloid