Re: [Gnumed-devel] Re: Medication viewing

[Jim Busser]

On 2009-10-29, at 11:47 AM, Karsten Hilbert wrote:

> > It would mean that within the Medication List, it would only be a
> > subset of records that represent the current medications
> > (substances). others would be recorded as having lapsed (without
> > being restarted) or discontinued for lack of tolerability or
> > effectiveness or affordability or desire or need. The difference
> > could be managed in the filtering of the display and any ambiguity
> > avoided by the use of last_used and status fields.
>
> Yes. Judicious use of the available fields would allow for that.


I cannot find in the PG autodoc-generated v12 (via browser) a field  
last_used so am not sure if it has been removed or was never  
implemented.

I think it is helpful to hold such a value when for example a patient  
had been instructed to take an antibiotic for a duration of 10 days  
but at a followup visit in 10 days admits they only took the  
medication for 4 days and because they were both nauseated -- and did  
already feel better from their original symptoms -- flushed them down  
the toilet.

It is IMO totally wrong to alter this current medication row to change  
the duration to 4 days, unless the meaning of "duration" is changed from

        How long is this substances intended to be taken.

to

        Intended (or post-hoc actual) duration of use, if known