Screening for Medication Appropriateness in Older Adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Older adults frequently have multiple medical conditions and take numerous medications.
• This demographic is at a heightened risk for inappropriate medication use.
• Screening for medication issues can be challenging for clinicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the challenges of medication management in older adults.
• To propose strategies for improving medication safety in this population.
• To emphasize the need for further research in geriatric pharmacotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Review of current challenges in medication use for older adults.
• Discussion of team-based strategies for clinical practice.
• Identification of areas for future research.

Main Results:

• A focused, team-based approach can facilitate initial progress in screening medication use.
• Existing evidence for medication use in older adults requires strengthening.
• Effective and scalable interventions for medication safety are not fully elucidated.

Conclusions:

• Implementing focused, team-based strategies is a viable starting point for clinicians.
• Further research is essential to build a robust evidence base.
• Developing scalable interventions is crucial for enhancing medication safety in the elderly.