Andrea Simon, PharmD
Hospital pharmacist in Southern California, and the person behind ManyMeds.
I'm a hospital pharmacist, and I've worked in the hospital for more than ten years. I still do. A big part of my job is sitting with complicated medication lists and asking whether each medicine is still doing more good than harm.
I also see what happens after people go home: new prescriptions, changed doses, and a list that nobody at home can quite piece together. Through ManyMeds I do the same kind of careful review for families caring for an aging parent. I write this blog to explain, in plain English, what I'd want any family to know about their medicines.
Background
- Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Southern California.
- Residency-trained. During residency I helped pilot a program in which pharmacists checked the medication lists of surgical patients.
- Board-certified in infectious diseases pharmacy.
- At the hospital, I built the program that makes sure antibiotics are used safely and only when they're needed.
- I teach medical and pharmacy students.
- When I flag a medication problem, doctors agree with me more than 95% of the time.
What I do, and what I don't
What I do
- Review every medicine on the list independently: prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements.
- Explain what I find in plain language and point out what's worth asking about.
- Help you write down the questions to take to your parent's doctor.
- Organize it into one current list and a schedule the family can follow at home.
What I don't do
- I don't change or stop anyone's prescriptions.
- I don't contact your parent's doctors. You decide what to bring to them.
- I don't replace your parent's doctor or pharmacist.
- The articles here are general education, not advice for your situation.
Where to start
The simplest first step is a complete, current list of everything that's being taken. The free Family Medication Starter List is a two-page printable for exactly that. If it's more than a list can sort out, you can book a free 15-minute call and tell me what's going on.
Read by topic
- Medications in older adults
- The medication list, doctor visits & coming home
- Caring for a parent
- Every article
How articles on this blog are written, updated and reviewed: editorial policy.