Medication adherence
MEDICATION ADHERENCE AND INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION
“ Why won’t they just take their pills?”
The reasons for medication non-adherence can be complex. Just because a person is prescribed medication does not mean that they will take that medication. What is the role of a social worker in this situation? While it is important for social workers to understand medications and the effects of medications, prescribing medication is outside a social worker’s scope of practice. This means that social workers must work both with clients and with other health professionals when addressing medication adherence.
For this Discussion, you consider the role of the social worker within an interdisciplinary team in supporting a client’s treatment plan.
· Describe 2-3 different reasons why an individual may not take their medication as prescribed.
· Explain the role of the social worker in addressing medication adherence.
· Describe specific skills or strategies you would use both with the client and the prescribing health professional to address medication adherence.
· Explain how a social worker’s role may differ from other health professionals when addressing medication adherence.
· Explain how social identity, power, privilege, and marginalization may impact the reason for non-adherence.
LEARNING RESOURCES
· Preston, J. D., O’Neal, J. H., & Talaga, M. C. (2017). Handbook of clinical psychopharmacology for therapists (8th ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
· Chapter 22, “Red Flags: When to Reevaluate” (pp. 255-276)
· Ruffalo, M. L. (2016). The Social Worker, Psycho tropic Medication, and Right to Refuse.Links to an external site. Social Work, 61(3), 271-272. doi:10.1093/sw/sww027
· Townsend, L. (2009). How effective are interventions to enhance adherence to psychiatric medications? Practice implications for social workers working with adults diagnosed with severe mental illness.Links to an external site. Journal Of Human Behavior In The Social Environment, 19(5), 512-530.
CULTURAL AND CONTEXTUAL CONSIDERATIONS
Mental health professional’s appreciation for culture and context extend beyond general understandings of people grouped by factors like ethnicity and sexual orientation. Mental health professionals invest in understanding the deep, underlying components of all the things that come together to make our clients who they are.
When culture and context are at odds with societal norms and hegemonic expectations, mental health professionals may need to work with clients to help instill and utilize resources to cope with the possibility of negative messages from society. In addition, mental health professionals work together with clients, for clients, and with other professionals to make changes. Consider how collaborating with others promotes positive changes in client well-being. How might collaboration through advocacy result in alternative approaches for addressing cultural or contextual considerations in treatment recommendations?
For this Discussion, view the media “Multicultural and Contextual Considerations Case Study: Marisol”in the Learning Resources. Consider new and alternative methods that mental health professionals could use to advocate for Marisol.
Discussion 2
Post an explanation of how you would advocate for clients like Marisol. Explain at least one strategy as a mental health professional you could facilitate culturally and contextually ethical treatment of clients. Support your strategy with evidence from the Walden Library.
Offering an additional strategy your colleague could use to facilitate culturally and contextually ethical treatment of clients