Polypharmacy The Pearls, the Perils, and the Pitfalls of Pharmaceuticals in the Aging Population

 

Purpose

This is an overview of drugs and the elderly patient. Barb will discuss the age-related physiologic changes that occur in the liver, the kidneys, the GI tract, lean body composition, fat distribution, and water distribution that play major roles in how drugs are handled by the older patient.  Various interactions between the most common drugs will be discussed – sulfa drugs and Warfarin for example.  How many drugs can one person take on a daily basis?  Are they justified?  Why is Florida the most drug-toxic state in the US?  What drug is responsible for the following statistic?  The over-60 crowd is the fastest rising group in the U.S. with STIs.  What foods should be avoided with digoxin?  What drugs are constipating? What drugs cause cognitive dysfunction?  Can patients take aspirin an ibuprofen at the same time?  Why do PPIs interfere with B12 absorption and can this be a clinically relevant interaction?  The learner will leave with a million and one ideas concerning polypharmacy and the older patient.

 

Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, the participant will be able to:

1. Describe the process of senescence as it relates to the concept of functional reserve.

2. Discuss the primary changes in body composition observed in the elderly

3. Describe the specific changes in body organ systems that affect the elderly.

4. Describe the most common food and drug interactions observed in the older population.

5. Discuss the dilemma of polypharmacy in the aging population.

6. Provide clinical pearls about the most common drug classes used in the older population.

 

Successful completion for nursing contact hours

• Payment of $25/person

• Watch entire DVD

• Complete evaluation form

• Complete and submit the 10 item post test

• Scoring of at least 75% is required for successful completion.

 

 

Return to Barb's DVDs