A study of training in clinical pharmacology of the elderly

Training of physicians in geriatrics is essential to improving health care for the elderly. Considering the frequent use, cost, and side effects of drugs in the elderly, knowledge in clinical pharmacology is an important component of that training. The present study surveyed 68 geriatric medicine, 27 geropsychiatry, and 46 clinical pharmacology fellowship programs in the United States for the clinical geropharmacology content of their programs. In geriatric medicine, 73% of the programs had formal didactic material, 58% had formal training in this area during clinical experiences, and 43% formally interacted with clinical pharmacology faculty or fellows. In geropsychiatry these numbers were 79%, 67%, and 31%, respectively. In clinical pharmacology, 34% of the programs had formal didactic content, 9% had clinical experience on a specific geriatrics unit, and 14% had clinical experiences in a long-term care facility. Although some training in clinical geropharmacology exists in fellowship training programs, clearly there is much room for expansion and improvement in this important area of health care of the elderly.