What is the prescribing cascade?

The prescribing cascade refers to a situation in which an adverse reaction or side effect from a medication leads to the prescription of additional medications to address that reaction. This can create a cycle where more medications are added to the patient's regimen, often complicating their treatment and potentially leading to further adverse effects.

For instance, if a patient experiences dizziness as a side effect of a medication, a healthcare provider might prescribe another drug to alleviate the dizziness without recognizing that the initial medication is the cause. This not only increases the patient's overall medication burden but can also increase the risk of further adverse effects and drug interactions.

By identifying the prescribing cascade as the correct answer, it highlights the importance of careful drug monitoring and assessment in therapy management, where the goal is to minimize unnecessary prescriptions and adverse reactions rather than adding additional medications to treat side effects from existing ones.