Pharmacy

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10 pages, 1159 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Clinical Pharmacists’ Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Older Adults

by Tasia Karis Allen, Patrick Mayo, Sheri Koshman, Margaret Gray, Amina Babar and Cheryl Ann Sadowski

Pharmacy 2021, 9(4), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy9040172 - 20 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2576

Abstract

Background: Although pharmacy literature suggests that pharmacists have a positive attitude towards older adults, there is a paucity of studies that have measured pharmacists’ knowledge or attitudes towards older people. The purpose of our study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of [...] Read more.

Background: Although pharmacy literature suggests that pharmacists have a positive attitude towards older adults, there is a paucity of studies that have measured pharmacists’ knowledge or attitudes towards older people. The purpose of our study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of hospital pharmacists toward older adults. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed over two months to clinical hospital pharmacists across the province of Alberta, Canada. The survey was composed of two validated tools, the Palmore Facts of Aging Quiz (PFAQ) and Kogan’s Attitude toward Old People Scale (KOPS). PFAQ is scored from 0 (poor knowledge) to 25 (high knowledge) and KOPS from 34 to 204, with higher than 119 indicating a positive attitude. Results: A total of 153 pharmacists completed the survey (response rate of 24%). The mean age was 39 (SD 10.8) years; the average years practiced was 15 (SD 11), and the majority of respondents (n = 65) reported that >50% of patients in their practice were geriatrics. The mean correct responses on the PFAQ were 18.8 (SD 2.6). KOPS had a mean score of 156.8 (SD 14), with only one pharmacist score falling below 119, indicating a negative attitude. There was a statistically significant, positive correlation between attitudes and knowledge (r = 0.38, p < 0.05), as well as the increasing age of the respondents (r = 0.18, p = 0.03). The remaining measured categories (i.e., gender, years of pharmacy practice) had no significant effect. Conclusion: Clinical hospital pharmacists in Alberta have a positive attitude toward geriatric patients, as well as a satisfactory knowledge of older adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Geriatric Care through Pharmacy Practice)

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Review

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7 pages, 393 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Challenge of Medication-Induced Dry Mouth in Residential Aged Care

by William Murray Thomson, Moira B. Smith, Catherine Anna Ferguson and Geraldine Moses

Pharmacy 2021, 9(4), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy9040162 - 1 Oct 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3765

Abstract

With a reported prevalence between 20% and 30%, dry mouth is more common among older people than any other age group. The major risk factor for dry mouth is polypharmacy. Older people take more medications than any other age group, not only for [...] Read more.

With a reported prevalence between 20% and 30%, dry mouth is more common among older people than any other age group. The major risk factor for dry mouth is polypharmacy. Older people take more medications than any other age group, not only for symptomatic relief of various age-associated chronic diseases, but also to reduce the likelihood of the complications that may arise from those conditions. Most aged care residents take even more medications than older people who are living in their own homes. The greater the number of medications taken, the greater the associated anticholinergic burden, and the more likely it is that the individual will suffer from dry mouth. The condition not only affects the dentition and ability to wear dentures, but also the sufferers’ quality of life. Treating dry mouth is a considerable challenge for clinicians. As medication use is by far the most important risk factor, there is a need for pharmacists, doctors and dentists to work together to prevent this from occurring. Medication review and deprescribing is a key strategy, but there have not yet been any randomised control trials of its efficacy in reducing the occurrence of dry mouth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Geriatric Care through Pharmacy Practice)

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Other

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5 pages, 185 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Case Report of an Interprofessional Intervention to Improve Quality of Life for a Fluid-Limited Patient

by Jennifer L. Cox and Maree Donna Simpson

Pharmacy 2022, 10(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10010018 - 21 Jan 2022

Viewed by 2241

Abstract

This was a case of an 81-year-old female, an amputee, who presented at hospital with a fractured neck of femur after a fall in the nursing home. The patient was being treated for several complex chronic conditions for which 30 regular medicines were [...] Read more.

This was a case of an 81-year-old female, an amputee, who presented at hospital with a fractured neck of femur after a fall in the nursing home. The patient was being treated for several complex chronic conditions for which 30 regular medicines were prescribed and 100 tablets were being taken per day. The patient was fluid limited to 1500 mL per day but the need to swallow such a high number of tablets meant that there was no fluid allowance available for any other drinks, not even a cup of tea. In the nursing home, the patient had multiple prescribers, not all from the one surgery. The pharmacist conducted a multifaceted review of the patient’s medication and lifestyle factors. Working collaboratively with the wider health care team, the intervention was able to reduce the number of medications and improve the patient’s quality of life through improving the effectiveness of other lifestyle factors. This case not only showcases pharmacist interventions but also the synergistic benefit of interprofessional working with patients with chronic and complex conditions. This is arguably more critical in rural or remote areas where there is commonly a paucity of most health practitioners, health assistants and technicians. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving Geriatric Care through Pharmacy Practice)

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