Case Report of an Interprofessional Intervention to Improve Quality of Life for a Fluid-Limited Patient

Abstract

This was a case of an 81-year-old female, an amputee, who presented at hospital with a fractured neck of femur after a fall in the nursing home. The patient was being treated for several complex chronic conditions for which 30 regular medicines were prescribed and 100 tablets were being taken per day. The patient was fluid limited to 1500 mL per day but the need to swallow such a high number of tablets meant that there was no fluid allowance available for any other drinks, not even a cup of tea. In the nursing home, the patient had multiple prescribers, not all from the one surgery. The pharmacist conducted a multifaceted review of the patient’s medication and lifestyle factors. Working collaboratively with the wider health care team, the intervention was able to reduce the number of medications and improve the patient’s quality of life through improving the effectiveness of other lifestyle factors. This case not only showcases pharmacist interventions but also the synergistic benefit of interprofessional working with patients with chronic and complex conditions. This is arguably more critical in rural or remote areas where there is commonly a paucity of most health practitioners, health assistants and technicians.