[Gnumed-devel] Medications plug-in, refactored - *Managing* medications

[Busser, Jim]

Managing medications is complex, raising several questions, the first of which 
is:

1. did they adhere to the last-known plan (which may have included to complete, 
in the meantime, a course of treatment), or did they

        alter medications, and / or
        add new ones (say, over the counter, or by prescription of some other 
clinician)?

However completing this last-known "plan" of medication requires to combine 
multiple things:

- a range of time on treatment
- sometimes, a repeat investigation, and
- the option, or requirement, for reassessment, and
- whether or not the doctor visit will be necessary in order for the patient to 
gain official approval of, or a prescription for, more medication

and this is further complicated by

- the possibility that the out-of-praxis start dates can be unknown
- few drugs have (biological) "durations which cannot be exceeded"
- the concept of duration / until is thus, IMO, more safely understood as an 
"interval or date at the end of which"
        - there should be a *trial* of discontinuation
        *and/or*
        - the condition should be reassessed

at which time the patient might still *possess* medication, or access to it, 
and raising the possibility, but not necessity, of a prescription.

So while we need to keep these distinct:

        the concept / entity of "duration / until"
        the practical considerations of "prescribing"

I do support for us to at least further figure out how the two should "work", 
even despite that there will be a delay to implementation.

-- Jim