Pharmacotherapy practice in a rehabilitation hospital

A description of a pharmacotherapy practice in a rehabilitation hospital is presented. Patient pharmacotherapy assessments were classified using the pharmaceutical care model as a typology. Pharmacotherapy log-sheets for a 2-year period were reviewed and categorized. The most frequent type of observed medication related problem encountered in the practice was "drug induced medical problem," followed by "duration or dose of medication too great" and "indication without drug therapy." The most serious type was "duration or dose of medication too great." "Drug-food interactions" were not examined during the course of the practice. The particular medications found to be frequently associated with medical problems in the rehabilitation population were those affecting 1) bowel and bladder training, 2) cognitive retraining, and 3) gait and strengthening. Those in the "duration or dose of medication too great" category included ciprofloxacin, histamine-2-antagonists, phenytoin, and benzodiazepines. The report provides additional evidence of the practical use of the theoretical model of pharmaceutical care in the approach to pharmacotherapeutic management of patients.