Pharmacy Practice, Research, Education, and Advocacy for Older Adults

Abstract

In the United States, older adults have become the fastest growing segment of the population and are expected to double in number to 70 million by 2030. As a whole, older adults have different health care needs than younger patients, and some of these needs should be met by pharmacists. Clinical pharmacy practice affecting older adults occurs in a variety of settings, including community, ambulatory care, primary care, hospital, assisted living, nursing home, home health care, hospice, and Alzheimer's disease units. Although specialty training in geriatrics or gerontology is not required for pharmacists to care for older adults, it is extremely helpful. Pharmacy education related to the care of older adults has improved slightly in the past several years but will need to increase even more to provide all pharmacists with the basic skills and knowledge to care for this unique group of patients. In addition, pharmacotherapy research targeting older adults needs to increase. Although it can be challenging, funding for this type of research is available. Patient and political advocacy is also important to support this growing population.

Geriatric Pharmacy Education: A Strategic Plan for the Future

“…This position paper outlined the risks of medication use in older adults and highlighted the importance of the appropriate training and education to assure safe and effective drug therapy for this population. 24 …”

“…18 The current capacity for training additional faculty members is limited. 24,31 At present, there are only 16 ASHP-accredited specialty residencies in geriatrics, and this level of training may not be sufficient to prepare faculty members going into research-focused tenure-track positions.…”

Caring for the caregivers: perception of pharmacists as care providers

“…Older adults have become the fastest growing segment of the population and are expected to reach 70 million by year 2030 [3]. Along with this population size, the number adults who will become primary caregivers will increase [3]. An informal caregiver is defined as an unpaid individual involved in assisting others with activities of daily living (ADLs) and or medical tasks.…”

“…The primary responsibilities of family caregivers often include assisting their loved ones with ADLs such as bathing, dressing and eating [6]. No matter what the circumstances, the burden of being a caregiver can be overwhelming [3].…”

“…Falls is an injury that can aid in this disability. A study mentions among people aged 64 and older, 33% living in community and 50% living in an institution fall every year [3]. Some of these individuals may experience exacerbations of illness with a need for personal assistance.…”