Polypharmacy in Older Adults

Outline:
Section 1: Introduction

About This Course

Learning Objectives

Section 2: Polypharmacy Risk and Occurrence

Mary

A Growing Occurrence

Increased Risk for ADRs

Mary Gets a Workup

Section 3: Drugs at Work

Knowledge Check

Beers Criteria®

Knowledge Check

Chain Reaction of Medications

Knowledge Check

Section 4: Minimizing Polypharmacy and ADRs

Overview

Care Coordination

Education

Medication History

Knowledge Check

Discard Old Medications

Supplements

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Administering Medications

Use One Pharmacy

Medication Containers

Home Evaluation

Mary Gets Discharged

Section 5: Clinical Vignette

Section 6: Conclusion

Course Summary

Course Contributors

Resources

References

Elizabeth Kellerman, MSN, RN worked as a critical care nurse in an Intensive Care Unit of a community hospital and that experience provided significant training in caring for older adults. Her experience and knowledge led her to nursing education where she taught at a community college as she received her Master's in Nurse Education at Western Carolina University. As a nursing instructor, she spent time in many types of care settings including medical-surgical inpatient and community living centers. Her passion for education and training has most recently led her to a position as Subject Matter Expert and Curriculum Designer for Relias.

Shalla is a subject matter expert (SME)/writer for Relias. She completed her BSN and two undergraduate degrees with top honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Shalla earned her dual MSN degrees from Johns Hopkins University with top honors. She also maintains her post-baccalaureate nurse educator certificate (NE-BC). Shalla’s tenure spans over 20 years of cross-functional leadership and direct clinical roles in healthcare, biopharma/biotech, government affairs, managed care/market access, nonprofit patient advocacy, and research. Her subject matter expertise is in rare, orphan, and complex diseases. Her sub-expertise is in immune-mediated diseases (rheumatology and immunology), genetics, neurology, hematology/oncology, several pediatric diseases, population/public health, and larger systemic healthcare affairs. Shalla is a published author with leading rare disease experts and a global speaker. She also sits on scientific, advocacy, and legislative advisory boards. She has led national advocacy and disease awareness campaigns, including speaking before congress, leading to the first-in-class rare disease biologic approval and investigative treatment protocols.