Drug Conversion

[CardiacIntensivist]

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Sorry if this is in the wrong thread, there doesn't appear to be a general pharmacy forum for my question.

I'm a new intern and I find that I have to change medications upon discharge i.e. Atorvastatin to Simva or Rosuva; metop to atenolol etc. For the more common medications I've learned the conversion but it would be nice if I had a table with all the common beta blockers, statins, ace-i etc as a quick reference for conversion. I highly appreciate all my hospital's pharmacists help for these small questions but I think it'd just be faster if I can get a full chart instead of having to page a pharmacist and wait for a call back to ask a silly question.

tldr, is there a RELIABLE source you pharmacists use for medication conversions that non-pharm health care providers would have access to?

 

[owlegrad]

Sorry if this is in the wrong thread, there doesn't appear to be a general pharmacy forum for my question.

I'm a new intern and I find that I have to change medications upon discharge i.e. Atorvastatin to Simva or Rosuva; metop to atenolol etc. For the more common medications I've learned the conversion but it would be nice if I had a table with all the common beta blockers, statins, ace-i etc as a quick reference for conversion. I highly appreciate all my hospital's pharmacists help for these small questions but I think it'd just be faster if I can get a full chart instead of having to page a pharmacist and wait for a call back to ask a silly question.

tldr, is there a RELIABLE source you pharmacists use for medication conversions that non-pharm health care providers would have access to?

Um, you really didn't see the main pharmacy forum? Here, let me move this for you.

To answer your question, I like Pharmacist's Letter for conversion guides. Perhaps some real pharmacist would like to weigh in though?

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

Whoops. Well to be fair I work 14+ hours a day, sleep deprived and apparently I'm blind. any more help would be much appreciated.

 

[owlegrad]

Whoops. Well to be fair I work 14+ hours a day, sleep deprived and apparently I'm blind. any more help would be much appreciated.

Just kidding. 😛

As far as I know, surprisingly few resources exist for drug conversions, with Pharmacist's Letter being the clear pack leader. If anyone knows other good resources, I would be interested in knowing them as well. I don't know any "non-pharm" resources at all, but you could probably ask a pharmacist at your hospital to print you the most relevant conversion guides.

 

[njac]

PM me your e-mail and a list of specific meds. I've got various conversion guides all over my computer.

Google is your friend as well. I google this crap all the time.

 

[Quiksilver]

Sorry if this is in the wrong thread, there doesn't appear to be a general pharmacy forum for my question.

I'm a new intern and I find that I have to change medications upon discharge i.e. Atorvastatin to Simva or Rosuva; metop to atenolol etc. For the more common medications I've learned the conversion but it would be nice if I had a table with all the common beta blockers, statins, ace-i etc as a quick reference for conversion. I highly appreciate all my hospital's pharmacists help for these small questions but I think it'd just be faster if I can get a full chart instead of having to page a pharmacist and wait for a call back to ask a silly question.

tldr, is there a RELIABLE source you pharmacists use for medication conversions that non-pharm health care providers would have access to?

I'm confused why you are converting medications on discharge. Why not keep them on what they are on in the hospital so long as its given PO?

 

[Farmercyst]

I'm confused why you are converting medications on discharge. Why not keep them on what they are on in the hospital so long as its given PO?

my guess would be either cost to the patient or pt's formulary coverage

 

[Quiksilver]

my guess would be either cost to the patient or pt's formulary coverage

I would understand that but it sounds like he is switching everyone, and lets be honest, what insurance covers metoprolol but doesn't cover atenolol?

 

[njac]

I would understand that but it sounds like he is switching everyone, and lets be honest, what insurance covers metoprolol but doesn't cover atenolol?

I think the most common scenario is patient comes in on atenolol, but the hospital formulary agent is metoprolol so patient is converted while inpatient. Dose was titrated while patient was admitted, so they don't want to discharge the patient on the original dose of atenolol and want to know an equipotent dose of atenolol to the titrated dose of metoprolol inpatient.

Happens all the damn time.

 

[Praziquantel86]

I would understand that but it sounds like he is switching everyone, and lets be honest, what insurance covers metoprolol but doesn't cover atenolol?

Happens with us all the time too. Cholesterol meds, asthma controllers, BP meds, etc.