Perioperative medication management: a case-based review of general principles

Medical consultants need to recommend the safest and the most effective ways to manage chronic medications in the perioperative period. Outcomes data from clinical trials are limited in regard to perioperative medication management, so specific clinical trials are not available to guide decision-making in most circumstances. More studies in this field are needed. Communication and collaboration with anesthesiologists and surgeons as well as with primary care physicians are key to achieving optimal outcomes.