Final answer:
Practitioners prescribing verbal or electronic prescriptions for Medicaid patients must adhere to best practices for medication adherence and consider the practicality of strategies like directly observed therapy (DOT). Enforcing best practices may involve policy changes and monitoring of prescription drugs, especially for high-risk medications like opioids. Electronic prescriptions for opioids are suggested to improve monitoring and patient safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
In reference to Medicaid patients and the handling of verbal or electronic prescriptions, a practitioner must consider not only compliance with the prescribed treatment but also the cost-effectiveness and practicality of such strategies. When prescribing, especially in the case of antibiotics or high-risk medications like opioids, there are suggested best practices to ensure proper use and adherence to treatment. The strategy of directly observed therapy (DOT) has been effective for certain treatments like TB, but its feasibility for all antibiotic treatments is questionable, due to the logistics and additional costs involved.
Focusing on solutions for overprescription and ensuring adherence, there is a discussion on the role of policies and monitoring in regard to prescription drugs. Questions arise about who should be responsible for enforcing best practices—whether that responsibility should fall to the medical community, regulatory agencies, or another group—and what kind of penalties would effectively discourage overprescription.
For Medicaid patients, particularly when dealing with opioids, there are calls to adopt electronic prescriptions which can help in monitoring and controlling prescriptions, hence aiding in the reduction of abuse and improving patient safety. Such measures require comprehensive implementation strategies, including the consideration of costs and access for Medicaid patients to necessary services, such as prescription drugs, medical supplies, and physicians' services.