Geriatric education centers address medication issues affecting older adults

Serious problems have been identified in the prescribing of medications for elderly patients and use of prescription and nonprescription drugs by older persons. Overuse, underuse, and inappropriate use of drugs by the elderly have been widely documented, and the harmful consequences have been described. This paper reviews information concerning the need for action to improve health professionals' knowledge and skills with respect to drugs and the elderly and activities being undertaken by geriatric education centers (GECs) to enhance these capacities. Grant support for the centers from the Health Resources and Services Administration, a Public Health Service component agency, began in 1983. In fiscal year 1992 there are 31 centers operating in 26 States. The centers are multi-institutional and conduct four types of educational activities. These include review of pharmacological issues for multidisciplinary groups, specialized training for pharmacists, discipline-specific programs focusing on medication issues, and activities aimed at educating the public. Examples of the GECs' educational activities are given.