Drug Topics - February 2009 - (Page 26)

Issues & Trends PEDIATRIC AND GERIATRIC PHARMACISTS a renowned geriatrician, in every presentation she makes. “When we do presentations to pharmacists, we say, ‘What are the common signs of aging? Confusion, depression, incontinence, blurred vision, dizziness, memory challenges,’” she said. “’Now, let’s talk about common side effects from drugs in seniors: dizziness, confusion, incontinence, blurred vision.’ How do you know which one it is?” Moret said she had expected more pharmacists to take the exam by now as a way to differentiate themselves from pharmacists without particular expertise in geriatrics. But because certiﬁcation isn’t required by any state board of pharmacy, there hasn’t been a pressing reason for most people to take the test up to this point. Signs indicate that circumstances may be changing. “There are some employers who are now requiring it,” Moret said. “Some of the Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are now asking their pharmacist employees to get the certiﬁcation, because they need to demonstrate that they know something about this population, who is Medicareeligible, and with unique medication needs.” The geriatric pharmacist also plays a unique role in helping customers distinguish the risks and beneﬁts of herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications, as well. Seniors often fall for scams that can hurt their health, Culbertson said. “A lot of these people are very susceptible to TV advertisements for herbal remedies that may or may not interact with their drugs, so when we talk to them, we have to ask that,” she said. Besides herbal interactions, many elderly aren’t aware over-the-counter medications can contain other medications, Moret said. “[Diphenhydramine] is not a medication that a senior should take,” she said. “But how many seniors take Tylenol PM to help them sleep? Well, diphenhydramine is in it [and] will cause more confusion and dizziness, in addition to affecting gait.” Some pharmacies help their older customers comply with their medication regime by giving them specialized packaging that bundles their medications by the day, rather than distributing them in pill bottles. It’s more expensive, though, which can hurt seniors on ﬁxed incomes. Moret said she’d like to see more geriatric specialty pharmacies, like 50-Plus, open in communities. But even that’s not enough. “We’re more interested in getting all pharmacists to have more expertise in geriatrics,” she adds. For more information on pediatric pharmacy, visit www.ppag.org. For more information on geriatric pharmacy, visit www. ccpg.org. http://www.ppag.org http://www.ccpg.org http://www.ccpg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - February 2009

Drug Topics - February 2009 Contents Health-System Edition Group Attempts to Resurrect Pain Care Act HSE Business Management HSE Clinical Letters Up Front Up Front in Depth Community Practice Niche Pharmacies Serve Special Populations Special Report Oral Oncology Drugs New Drugs Update 2008 Approvals OTC New Products Viewpoint

Drug Topics - February 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.