Page 15 - StLV Guide 2017

Understand Your Medication
Medications, including those for pain, will be provided as prescribed by your physician while you are a patient at CHI St. Luke’s Health–The Vintage Hospital. Do NOT take any medications other than those provided by your caregivers, unless your physician is aware and has entered an order allowing you to take medications from home.
The checklist below will help you ask your doctor the right questions:
• What is the name of the medicine?
• What is this medicine for?
• How do I take this medicine, how
much do I take, how many times a
day, and for how long?
• What are the possible side e ects?
• Can I take this medicine while taking other medications or dietary supplements?
• Are there any foods, drinks or activities that I should avoid while taking this medicine?
• Should I take my medicine with or between meals, on an empty stomach, with food or water?
• What should I do if I miss a dose?
Use a watch you can program, computer, tablet, or cell phone to set an alarm that will help you remember to take your medications on time.
Use the Medicine Minder provided on page 13 to help you keep track of all of your medications, strengths and dosages.
Help Prevent Medicine Errors
Tell Your Doctors And Nurses:
• Allmedicationsyouaretaking, including prescription or over- the-counter drugs, herbal or vitamin supplements, natural remedies, and recreational drugs. Make a list before you go to the hospital.
• If you have allergies to medications, anesthesia, foods, latex products, etc. Medical alert tags are a good way of relaying information about you. For example, if you are allergic to any medications, are diabetic, or on blood thinners, the tag would display this information. These medical alert tags can be found at your local pharmacy.
Be sure that any medications, procedures or lab tests ordered match the name on your ID bracelet.
THERE ARE NO
DUMB QUESTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO MEDICATION: You have an experienced sta available to help you fully understand your medications.
So, ask!
Your Pain Level
Our goal is to provide comfort, safety, and to control your pain as much as is possible.
This requires that you:
• Talk openly with your healthcare care team members about your expectations and past experiences with pain and pain management.
• Discuss pain relief options and work with your healthcare team to develop your pain
management plan.
• Ask for pain relief when pain rst begins; do not wait until your pain becomes unbearable.
• Notify your healthcare team members if your pain is not relieved to your satisfaction.
• Discuss any concerns you may have about taking pain medication or about other comfort measures.
How Bad Is Your Pain On This Scale?
0. No Hurt
2. Hurts Little Bit
4. Hurts Little More
6. Hurts Even More
8. Hurts Whole Lot
10. HurtsWorst
www.wongbakerFACES.org ©1983 Wong-Baker FACES® Foundation. Used with permission.
Your Healthcare Team will:
• Provide information about pain and pain relief measures.
• Listen to your report of pain in a non-judgmental manner and respond appropriately.
• Ensure you have a comprehensive, up-to-date pain management plan that includes medications, when appropriate, and also individualized comfort measures, such as hot and cold compresses, and other options.
PATIENT SAFETY
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