Biography
Biography: Stephanie Bruce
Abstract
Potentially inappropriate medication use continues to be a concern in geriatric care. It has been 28 years since Beers et al (1991) first published guidelines on medication safety in older adults. Since that time, multiple revisions of this tool have been published in the literature (American Geriatrics Society, 2012; American Geriatrics Society 2019 Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel, 2019). According to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (2017), older adults continue to be prescribed medications that have been widely accepted to increase harm. Surveillance of prescribed medications post hospital discharge to home health care services is necessary because approximately one third of older adults using these services have at least one potentially inappropriate medication on their current medication list upon admission (Lohman et al., 2017; Alhmoud, Khalifa, & Bahi, 2015). What research has shown is best practice is not consistently reaching the patient. The objective of this presentation is to improve geriatric medication management through the dissemination of an educational module using the American Geriatrics Society 2019 Updated AGS Beers Criteria and Knowles Theory of Learning as a framework. This module includes a review of factors that put older adults at increased risk for adverse drug events, specific drugs and drug classes that have a high potential for toxicity in older adults, strategies to prevent common medication-related problems in older adults, and reviews how to conduct a comprehensive medication review. This presentation is appropriate for nurses, prescribers, social workers, and physical/occupational/speech therapists in a variety of settings.