Polypharmacy in Older Adults - Hidden Dangers
Overview:
Medicines are meant to help, not harm. But sometimes taking too many drugs can be dangerous, especially for older adults.
The use of multiple drugs to treat diseases and other health conditions is known as polypharmacy. This is a growing concern for older adults. Polypharmacy is more common among older adults, many of whom have multiple chronic conditions (MCC), defined as two or more chronic conditions such as arthritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, depression, diabetes, and hypertension. But taking too many drugs can lead to safety concerns.
This presentation will cover the top 5 causes of polypharmacy, the effects they have and what advocates can do to spot problems and help avert serious injury.
This presentation follows a case analysis for easy understanding.
After this presentation an advocate will be able to:
- Discuss the Prescribing Cascade and its dangers
- Explain why multi-pharmacy use is misunderstood and dangerous,
- State the importance of Comprehensive Clinical Medication Reviews for Deprescribing.
Non-Member Purchase
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Continuing Education webinars are open to NAHAC members and the general public looking to enhance their knowledge and receive continuing education credit.
As a NAHAC benefit, Full Members are charged only $10.00 for a CE webinar while the general public pays $40.00 per CE credit webinar. NAHAC full members, who just want to view the webinars, can go to the NAHAC website to view the webinars at any time – no charge.
To receive the discounted NAHAC membership rate for CE webinars, access and complete an application here: Membership Form.
Members Only Purchase
You will recieve an email, after checking out, with a unique passcode to input above enabling this webinar.
Continuing Education webinars are open to NAHAC members and the general public looking to enhance their knowledge and receive continuing education credit.
Dr. Nancy A Taylor, PharmD, BCPA, CSA, Founder & CEO of Taylormade Senior Advocacy & Consulting LLC
Dr. Nancy A. Taylor is founder and CEO of Taylormade Senior Advocacy and Consulting LLC. As an advocate she helps older adults and their families navigate the complex maze that is our national healthcare system. It is so easy to become overwhelmed and many people find the system daunting regardless of their age. She provides a guiding hand with Collaborative Deliberation, Medicare Education including choosing drug plans, Provider and Care Coordination, Comprehensive Clinical Medication Reviews, and Medication Therapy Management. Through her services, clients find security, empowerment, and peace of mind along their lifecare journey. She retired from “the bench” as a pharmacist after over a decade in community pharmacy and started her company to better serve her aging patients. She kept hearing the words of her pharmacist father, “We are not just dispensing medicine, we are dispensing HOPE. Remember Nancy, your empathy, compassion and sense of humor are as much medicine as are pills and creams.” The transition from pharmacist to advocate was natural and empowering for both Dr. Taylor and those she serves. Dr. Taylor also serves as a consulting pharmacist in Skilled Nursing and Long Term Care. She is responsible for evaluating drug appropriateness, determining drug/drug and drug/disease interactions and drug regimen consistency during transitions of care. In addition to her Doctor of Pharmacy, Dr. Taylor is a Board Certified Patient Advocate and a Certified Senior Advisor. She is a member the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Consulting Pharmacists and the Wyoming Pharmacists Association. She is also a member of the Alliance of Professional Healthcare Advocates and the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy.