Overprescribed: Minimizing Prescriptions for Elderly Patients

1.25 hours

Overprescribed: Minimizing Prescriptions for Elderly Patients

Description

Older patients carry a disproportionate burden of polypharmacy that negatively impacts their health, quality of life, and longevity. The facts are startling: more than a third of the U.S. population over age 65 is taking 5 or more medications daily. People over the age of 65 are more than twice as likely to visit the emergency department due to an adverse drug reaction than younger patients and are seven times more likely to require hospitalization after an emergency visit. These sad statistics have spurred an awareness of the risk of polypharmacy, but providers are still often uncertain how to best tackle reducing medications in older patients.

This course clearly explains how to approach deprescribing in geriatrics, including case examples. We will review essentials like how pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics change with age and best tools to help decide how to change or stop medications (including STOPP and START, Beer’s criteria, pharmacogenetic testing, and clinical guidelines). We will also discuss how to initiate weaning medications, the importance of harm reduction, the role of OTC medications, as well as how to best approach communication with patients, families, and other health care providers. The goal of this course is to enable the clinician to immediately implement safe and clear deprescribing when appropriate with older patients.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the extent of polypharmacy in geriatric patients and why they are more vulnerable.
  • Identify when deprescribing is appropriate and what classes of medications are most critical. Become familiar with tools and resources for quick decision-making.
  • Appreciate the strategy of harm reduction and when/how to apply.
  • Facilitate communication effectively with patients, families, and other health care providers, including identifying critical roles and teaching self-advocacy.

Course Content

  • Overprescribed: Minimizing Prescriptions for Elderly Patients 1h 15min

Instructor

Dr. Alethea Fleming, ND is a passionate advocate for naturopathic geriatric medicine. She is a Bastyr University graduate and earned a certificate in Gerontology from the University of Washington. Dr. Fleming is the owner of the Vital Aging Clinic in Anacortes, Washington where she has provided care to elders and someday-elders for over a dozen years. Dr. Fleming is adjunct faculty at Bastyr University and Middle Way Acupuncture Institute, as well as a proud member of AGS, WANP, and AANP.

Continuing Education Approvals

  • Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists (CFA)

    0.625 CEU total (up to 0.625 CEU Category B) -Direct Approval
  • College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia (CNPBC)

    1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category F - Prescriptive Authority) -Direct Approval
  • College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO)

    1.25 credits total (up to 1.25 credits Category A, up to 1.25 credits Category A - Prescribing) -Direct Approval
  • New Hampshire Association of Naturopathic Doctors (NHAND)

    1.25 CEUs total (up to 1.25 CEUs General, up to 1.25 CEUs Pharmacy/Pharmacognosy) -Direct Approval
  • Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (VT OPR)

    1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours General, up to 1.25 hours Pharmacology) -Direct Approval
  • Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA)

    0.625 CPD total (up to 0.625 CPD Category B) -Assumed Approval
  • Arizona Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board (AZ NPMB)

    1.25 CMEs total (up to 1.25 CMEs General, up to 1.25 CMEs Pharmacology) -Assumed Approval
  • College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta (CNDA)

    1.25 continuing competence credits total -Assumed Approval
  • College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia (CNPBC)

    1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category C - Educational Courses) -Assumed Approval
  • College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO)

    1.25 credits total (up to 1.25 credits Category B) -Assumed Approval
  • Colorado Office of Naturopathic Doctor Registration (CO ONDR)

    1.25 PDAs total -Assumed Approval
  • Connecticut Department of Public Health: Naturopathic Physician Licensure (CT DPH: NPL)

    1.25 hours total -Assumed Approval
  • Council for Homeopathic Certification (CHC)

    1.25 CEUs total (up to 1.25 CEUs Category 2) -Assumed Approval
  • District of Columbia Health Regulation and Licensing Administration (DC HRLA)

    1.25 hours total -Assumed Approval
  • Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Professional & Vocational Licensing (HI DCCA)

    1.25 CEs total (up to 1.25 CEs General, up to 1.25 CEs Pharmacology) -Assumed Approval
  • Idaho Board of Medicine: Naturopathic Medical Board (ID BOM: NMB)

    1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours General, up to 1.25 hours Pharmacology) -Assumed Approval
  • Kansas State Board of Healing Arts (KS SBHA)

    1.25 CEUs total -Assumed Approval
  • Maine Board of Complementary Health Care Providers (ME BCHCP)

    1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours General, up to 1.25 hours Pharmacology) -Assumed Approval
  • Manitoba Naturopathic Association (MNA)

    1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category B) -Assumed Approval
  • Maryland Board of Physicians (MD BP)

    1.25 hours total -Assumed Approval
  • Minnesota Board of Medical Practice (MN BMP)

    1.25 contact hours total (up to 1.25 contact hours General, up to 1.25 contact hours Pharmacotherapeutics) -Assumed Approval
  • Montana Board of Alternative Health Care (MT BAHC)

    1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours General, up to 1.25 hours Naturopathic Pharmacy) -Assumed Approval
  • North Dakota Board of Integrative Health Care (ND BIHC)

    1.25 credits total (up to 1.25 credits General, up to 1.25 credits Pharmacy) -Assumed Approval
  • Rhode Island Department of Health: Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (RI DOH: BMLD)

    1.25 hours total -Assumed Approval
  • Saskatchewan Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (SANP)

    1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category C) -Assumed Approval
  • Utah Naturopathic Physician Licensing Board (UT NPLB)

    1.25 CEs total (up to 1.25 CEs General, up to 1.25 CEs Pharmacy) -Assumed Approval
  • Washington State Department of Health: Board of Naturopathy (WA DOH: BON)

    1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category 2, up to 1.25 hours Category 2 - Pharmacology) -Assumed Approval
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$50.00
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This course includes:

  • 1.25 hours on-demand video
  • 1 downloadable resource
  • Full lifetime access
  • Certificate of completion (PDF)
  • Certificate available immediately
  • CEs / PDAs as outlined
This course is intended for practitioners.