INNOVATIONS in pharmacy

Somatization in Polypharmacy: Hiding in Plain Sight

Michael J. Schuh

Mayo School of Health Related Sciences

Garcia Susan

Mayo Clinic Florida

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v15i2.6168

Keywords: Polypharmacy, Somatic Symptom Disorder, Patient, Pharmacy

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Abstract

Polypharmacy and somatic symptom disorder (SSD) are common conditions clinicians see every day in practice. Polypharmacy is easy to identify and causation seems to be straightforward. However, SSD may not be so obvious and may be an underlying cause of the polypharmacy that may be more difficult to identify. Identifying SSD as a potential psychiatric cause for polypharmacy and understanding that adding more medications will not adequately resolve the patient’s symptoms is important to prevent polypharmacy from being exacerbated.

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Author Biography

Michael J. Schuh, Mayo School of Health Related Sciences

Michael J. Schuh, BS, PharmD, MBA, FAPhA

Dr. Schuh is the former Outpatient Pharmacy Operations Manager of Mayo Clinic Florida and managed various chain and independent pharmacies in his career. He now serves as the Clinical Coordinator of Mayo Clinic Florida’s medication therapy management practice serving pharmacogenomics, pharmacotherapy, solid organ transplant, and primary care patients. He holds Mayo Clinic academic appointments of Assistant Professor in Family Medicine, Palliative Medicine and Pharmacy. Dr. Schuh is a 2022 Next Generation Lifetime Leadership Finalist and has attained Mayo Clinic Associate status for contributions to Mayo patient care, education and research. He is a Fellow and former Board of Directors member of the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists, active member of NEFSHP, DCPA, American Pharmacists Association, and Florida Pharmacy Association. He is a Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association, past Chair of APhA’s Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management Administrative Section and past Congressional Key Contact. He served as an active member of APhA’s Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Task Force, APhA's Executive Committee and is co-founder and past Coordinator of the APhA Medication Management Special Interest Group. Dr. Schuh is also a past Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice/Course Coordinator at the University of Florida and held clinical appointments at other leading universities. Outside of pharmacy, he served as a National Quality Forum Advisory Panel Member under the Obama administration and as a Visiting Professor of Nutrition Health and Wellness, Integrated Science, Business Management and Nursing Pharmacology at DeVry University. He is currently an Advisory Committee member for Chamberlain University College of Nursing and fierce advocate for the widespread use of pharmacist clinical services by patients and providers.