For older people and frail people, the long-term benefit of medicines reduces and the potential for harm from adverse effects increases. When the benefit–risk balance changes in this way, medicine review and optimisation are important to simplify the therapeutic regimen, reduce inappropriate medicines and minimise risks. In this article, pharmacist prescriber Linda Bryant uses two case studies to illustrate important considerations during medicine reviews
Finger fear
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Finger fear
Thursday 2 May 2019, 11:01 AM

The dreaded DREs strike fear into the hearts of patients – and doctors
GP Jim Vause delves into the quagmire of digital rectal examinations to try to find an evidence-based pathway to follow
How should I balance patient choice when they refuse rectal examination or other invasive anal procedures over the diagnostic need?
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Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa
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References
i Digital Rectal Examination
ii Am J Emerg Med. 2009 Nov;27(9):1125-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2008.08.027. Utility of the digital rectal examination in the evaluation of undifferentiated abdominal pain. Quaas J1, Lanigan M, Newman D, McOsker J, Babayev R, Mason C.
iii Men having Sex with Men
iv Positive Predictive Value