physicians then consider optimal pharmacological and non-pharmacological options, including the option of no treatment at all. physicians take great care to assess the risks and benefits to the patient of taking or not taking a medication or treatment. factors that go into consideration include a patient’s genetics, age, renal impairment, pregnancy, co-morbidities, existing medication, allergies, contraindications, quality of life, and more.
only after a great deal of consideration and an adequate, up-to-date awareness of a medication’s benefits, harms, costs, and indications does a physician proceed to prescribing medications appropriate to the patient’s diagnosis. when a physician gives a patient a prescription, he or she does so with a clear understanding of the potential for adverse effects and takes steps to avoid, minimize, recognize, and manage them.
physicians also take steps to provide medication-relevant information to patients, ensuring that patients and their family members (or partners, caregivers, legal guardians, or substitute decision-makers) understand the information and have the ability to access it. it’s important to ensure that the patient and those assisting in their care understand and are committed to their health management, monitoring, and follow-up. in turn, it’s important that they understand what a medication is for, how to use it, possible unwanted effects and how to report them, the expected duration of treatment, and other important details.