Senior Care Pharmacists: Helping You Make the Best Use of Your Medicines

What Can A Senior Care Pharmacist Do For You?

See and Hear What Senior Care Pharmacists Do in Our New Video!

Potentially Inappropriate Medications for Older Persons

Medications That Should be Avoided When Certain Diseases Are Present

Seniors take more medications than any other age group. On average, seniors 65 to 69 years old have 13.6 prescriptions filled per year. Those 80 to 84 years old have 18.2 prescriptions filled per year.

Seniors at Risk: Falls

What will one of every three seniors suffer this year? A Fall

More than 11 million seniors — one of every three — will fall this year
(Sattin 1992; Tinetti, Speechley, and Ginter 1988), and approximately one in
10 of those falls will result in a serious injury such as hip fracture or
head injury (Tinnetti 2003). More than 500,000 seniors will suffer hip
fractures annually by 2040 (Cummings, Rubin, and Black 1990).
Each year, 35% to 40% of generally healthy seniors living in the community
fall (Campbell, Spears, and Borrie 1990). Because nursing facility residents
are older, more frail, and more cognitively impaired, approximately 50% fall
each year (Rubinstein, Josephson, and Robbins 1994).
About 20% of hip fracture patients will die within five years of the
fracture (Cooper 1997), yet thousands of those deaths are PREVENTABLE.
Most people do not realize that falls can be a medication-related problem.
Risk factors for falls include medication use, advanced age, decreased
mobility and strength, balance impairment, neurological disease,
cardiovascular disease, incontinence, visual impairment, and cognitive
impairment.
Certain medications — such as high blood pressure medications,
antidepressants, sleep aids, antiseizure medications, and heart
antiarrhythmic medications — can contribute to falls in the elderly for a
variety of different reasons. Perhaps a drug causes dizziness in an elderly patient,
and that patient has not been properly instructed on how to rise and walk
while on the medication. Standing up too quickly could result in a fall. Or,
perhaps a drug causes frequent urination, and a patient constantly gets up
during the night. One of those bathroom trips could cause a fall, and
possibly a hip fracture.

Medication-related falls and hip fractures are preventable.

Consultant pharmacists can assess seniors’ drug regimens for exposure to
risks that may contribute to falls, recommend drug therapy changes, and
educate the patient and caregiver on how to avoid dangerous situations.
Medication management is an effective fall prevention measure (Cooper 1997).

“No risk factor for falls is as potentially preventable or reversible as
medication use.”
(Leipzig, Cumming, and Tinetti 1999)

Download a complete report on seniors and falls.

To get Adobe Reader, click here.

To find a Senior Care Pharmacist, click here.

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		Seniors at Risk: Falls What will one of every three seniors suffer this year? A Fall More than 11 million seniors — one of every three — will fall this year (Sattin 1992; Tinetti, Speechley, and Ginter 1988), and approximately one in 10 of those falls will result in a serious injury such as hip fracture or head injury (Tinnetti 2003). More than 500,000 seniors will suffer hip fractures annually by 2040 (Cummings, Rubin, and Black 1990). Each year, 35% to 40% of generally healthy seniors living in the community fall (Campbell, Spears, and Borrie 1990). Because nursing facility residents are older, more frail, and more cognitively impaired, approximately 50% fall each year (Rubinstein, Josephson, and Robbins 1994). About 20% of hip fracture patients will die within five years of the fracture (Cooper 1997), yet thousands of those deaths are PREVENTABLE. Most people do not realize that falls can be a medication-related problem. Risk factors for falls include medication use, advanced age, decreased mobility and strength, balance impairment, neurological disease, cardiovascular disease, incontinence, visual impairment, and cognitive impairment. Certain medications — such as high blood pressure medications, antidepressants, sleep aids, antiseizure medications, and heart antiarrhythmic medications — can contribute to falls in the elderly for a variety of different reasons. Perhaps a drug causes dizziness in an elderly patient, and that patient has not been properly instructed on how to rise and walk while on the medication. Standing up too quickly could result in a fall. Or, perhaps a drug causes frequent urination, and a patient constantly gets up during the night. One of those bathroom trips could cause a fall, and possibly a hip fracture. Medication-related falls and hip fractures are preventable. Consultant pharmacists can assess seniors’ drug regimens for exposure to risks that may contribute to falls, recommend drug therapy changes, and educate the patient and caregiver on how to avoid dangerous situations. Medication management is an effective fall prevention measure (Cooper 1997). “No risk factor for falls is as potentially preventable or reversible as medication use.” (Leipzig, Cumming, and Tinetti 1999) Download a complete report on seniors and falls. To get Adobe Reader, click here. To find a Senior Care Pharmacist, click here.



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