What is included in the evaluation of drug therapy?

The evaluation of drug therapy primarily involves ensuring that patients receive the most effective and safest medications possible. A crucial aspect of this evaluation is the review of duplicates in therapy. This means identifying whether a patient is receiving multiple prescriptions for the same medication or medications that serve the same therapeutic purpose. Such duplication can increase the risk of adverse effects, drug interactions, and non-compliance, ultimately compromising patient safety and therapeutic efficacy.

By thoroughly reviewing a patient's medication history and current prescriptions, healthcare professionals can make informed recommendations, adjust dosages, or suggest alternative therapies to prevent any redundant or overlapping treatment regimens. This practice is vital in optimizing drug therapy to ensure both effectiveness and safety for the patient, which is a fundamental goal of pharmaceutical care.

While considerations like medication prices, monitoring patient visits, and checking billing records may be important in the broader context of healthcare delivery and management, they do not directly relate to the clinical evaluation of drug therapy in the same way that reviewing duplicates in therapy does.