Prescribing Appropriately • • • • • • • • • •
Determine therapeutic endpoints and plan for assessment Consider risk vs. benefit Avoid prescribing to treat side effect of another drug Use 1 medication to treat 2 conditions – Ca++ channel blocker or beta-blocker to treat HTN and angina – ACEi to treat HTN, heart failure, renal protection in DM
Consider drug-drug and drug-disease interactions Use simplest regimen possible Adjust doses for renal and hepatic impairment Avoid therapeutic duplication Use least expensive alternative Consider non-pharmacologic alternatives