Polypharmacy- The Hidden Dangers for our Older Adult Population
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
You will receive 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.
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 Taylor, PharmD, BCPA, CSA
Dr. Nancy Taylor designs and implements personalized healthcare action plans for busy professionals who want to achieve their best quality of life. During her 20+ years as a pharmacist and patient advocate, Dr. Taylor has brought relief, confidence, and control to hundreds of patients and clients through strategic action planning.
She has taught educational workshops and been a featured speaker at venues including community education settings, online communities such as Generational Support and SecureSeniorConnections and podcasts such as Boomers Today and willGather.com, on medication safety, transitions of care, introduction to Medicare, and the important role of advocacy in healthcare. Her recent presentations for the Healthcare Advocate Summit and National Association of Healthcare Advocates has solidified her position as a thought leader on healthcare action plans for medication safety in the Advocacy Industry.