Pharmacists sometimes use a mnemonic to gather information to help them diagnose a patient’s presenting complaint or assess the suitability of a drug for a patient. Caution should be exercised when using a mnemonic since it may not capture all the essential information needed before diagnosing the patient’s presenting complaint or concluding whether a drug therapy is appropriate for the patient. Further questioning may be needed based on the patient’s responses or what is discovered when assessing the suitability of a drug therapy for the patient. Listed below are some pharmacy mnemonics used when responding to symptoms and determining the appropriateness of a medication for a patient.
WWHAM
| W | Who is the patient |
| W | What are the symptoms |
| H | How long have the symptoms been present |
| A | Action taken |
| M | Medication being taken |
ASMETHOD
| A | Age/appearance |
| S | Self or someone else |
| M | Medication |
| E | Extra medicines |
| T | Time persisting |
| H | History |
| O | Other symptoms |
| D | Danger symptoms |
ENCORE
| E | Explore |
| N | No medication |
| C | Care |
| O | Observe |
| R | Refer |
| E | Explain |
SIT DOWN SIR
| S | Site or location of a sign/symptom |
| I | Intensity or severity |
| T | Type or nature |
| D | Duration |
| O | Onset |
| W | With (other symptoms) |
| N | Annoyed or aggravated by |
| S | Spread or radiation |
| I | Incidence or frequency |
| R | Relieved by |
I ESCAPED SIR
| I | Interactions |
| E | Efficacy |
| S | Side effects |
| C | Contraindications |
| A | Allergies |
| P | Pregnancy |
| E | Elimination |
| D | Dose |
| C | Compliance |
| P | Purpose |
| R | Route |
Source: Reference 1
Reference
- Bruno CB, Ip E, Shah B, Linn WD. A Mnemonic for Pharmacy Students to Use in Pharmacotherapy Assessment. AJPE. 2012;76 (1) Article 16.