Healthcare professionals do not often discuss swallowing difficulties, particularly a patient’s ability to swallow solid oral dosage forms.
| Learning objectives
After reading this article, pharmacists should be able to:
Competencies (2016) addressed: 1.1.1, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 3.1.2, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.5, 3.3.1, 3.3.2. Competencies (2010) addressed: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2.1, 1.2.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 6.1.2, 6.2.1, 6.2.2, 7.1.2, 7.2.1, 7.2.2 |
Case scenario
Matthew has come into the pharmacy to ask for your advice. His 91-year-old mother, Mrs Jones, is a regular patient of your pharmacy and takes around 11 medicines each day.
Previously she had not reported any problems taking her medicines; however, lately she has had problems swallowing some of the tablets. Matthew intended cutting up some of his mother’s tablets so that they would be easier to swallow but wants to check whether this would be okay.
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