Patient’s Input about Prescription Medication Key in Care

As a patient, you seek out the advice of a trusted health care provider about what condition or issue you have and what steps to take to care for it. 

While your physician or advanced practice provider will do his or her best to care for you, it’s important that you play an active role as part of your health care team to make sure you’re getting the best care possible. This is especially true when it comes to medications.

With most diseases or health issues that can be helped by a prescription drug, there are options available when it comes to which medication is right for you.

By discussing medication options with your doctor, you can determine what your health care goals are, your comfort with taking various types of medication, and your long-term hopes for treatment, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This partnership between physicians, patients and even patient’s families, when needed, is called patient-centered care, according to the HHS. This kind of care supports good doctor-patient communication.

Patient-centered care focuses not only on the illness or disease, but also on each patient as an individual with specific needs.

Talking about your medication goals can help both you and your doctor decide if the medication you are taking is working well, according to the HHS. If not, you and your doctor can discuss other medication options. 

Your honest feedback about how well or poorly a medication works for you will play a role in your provider deciding how to move forward with your care for the future.  

For more information about a patient’s role in prescription medication options, talk with your doctor or visit www.premierphysiciannet.com/Providers/ to find a physician.