International Rural Aging Project

Provider Workshops

Pharmaceutical Care in the Elderly: Issues and Answers

Convener: Arthur I. Jacknowitz, Morgantown, WV, USA
Co-Convener: Virginia Scott, Morgantown, WV, USA

Introduction:
Arthur I. Jacknowitz, Morgantown, West Virginia

Arthur Jacknowitz, PharmD, Professor, Clinical Pharmacy; Chair, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, West Virginia University. 

Poison Prevention and Treatment: The Elderly Patient

Elizabeth J. Scharman, Charleston, West Virginia

Director, West Virginia Poison Center; Associate Professor, West Virginia University School of Pharmacy Charleston Division; Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor West Virginia University School of Medicine. 

Objectives:

1.  List the reasons poisonings occur in the elderly;

2. List the most common reasons for medication induced toxicity;

3. Discuss the differences between acute and chronic toxicity;

4. State the physiologic differences that alters the effects of toxins;

5. State the medical conditions that place elderly patients at added risk for toxicity;

6. Describe the steps necessary to distinguish medically related symptoms from toxin induced symptoms, and

7. Identify key issues to consider when treating intentional ingestion in the elderly.

Alzheimer’s Disease – An Overview of the Disease and Its Treatment

Arthur I. Jacknowitz, Morgantown, West Virginia

Arthur Jacknowitz, PharmD, Professor, Clinical Pharmacy; Chair, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, West Virginia University. 

Objectives:

1. Relate the incidence of the disease to the increase in the aging population;

2. Differentiate the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease from that of "pseudodementia";

3. Recognize the warning signs of Alzheimer’s Disease;

4. Recognize those treatable diseases which mimic Alzheimer’s Disease and which may be reversible;

5. Identify individual medications and therapeutic classes of drugs which can precipitate or exacerbate signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease;

6. Demonstrate an understanding of the several brain changes which characterize Alzheimer’s Disease;

7. Differentiate the pathological changes from the biochemical deficit in Alzheimer’s Disease and appreciate new molecular discoveries;

8. Differentiate the potential pathways in which pharmacological interventions can be employed;

9. Recognize those therapeutic agents currently available and those awaiting approval, including understanding their differences, benefits, and risks, and

10. Describe treatment guidelines for drug use in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Medication Issues in the Elderly

David P. Elliott, Charleston, West Virginia

Associate Professor, Director, Clinical Pharmacy Programs, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center,

Charleston Division. 

Objectives:

1. Describe the role that medications play in the cost of caring for older adults;

2. Describe the impact and frequency of or unnecessary drug therapy (polypharmacy) among older adults;

3. Describe the frequency and impact of adverse reactions to medications;

4. Discuss the impact and frequency of lack of adherence to medication treatment plans developed by health care providers;

5. Compare how older adults respond to medications with younger patient groups; and

6. Identify practical solutions to some of the medication-related issues facing older adults.

Understanding Drug Regulations in the Long Term Care (Tentative)

Norma J. Owens, Kingston, Rhode Island

Professor of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island in Kingston.