On Call: Transforming Care for the Elderly Part 2

Transforming Care for the Elderly: ensuring that seniors receive appropriate and person-centred care

Session 2: Engaging pharmacists and interdisciplinary care teams to improve prescribing of antipsychotics and to curtail polypharmacy

Did you know?
Evidence shows that 5‒15% of seniors in long term care (LTC) facilities should be on antipsychotic medication, yet the national average is much higher. Currently, 27% of Canadian seniors in long term care are inappropriately using antipsychotics.
One in four residents in LTC in Canada receives antipsychotics without a diagnosis of psychosis.
The use of some medication, especially as people get older, can cause more harm than good. Antipsychotic use is associated with harmful side effects and is often not effective in treating behaviours in LTC residents.


Consider this …
The implications of polypharmacy and the “prescribing cascade” is a common situation in eldercare. Optimizing medication through targeted deprescribing is an important part of managing chronic conditions. A central part of optimizing medication in the elderly (or any population) is to create time and space for pharmacists and physicians to work within an interdisciplinary team to aid in the management of patient care through medication reviews and monitoring.

A new pharmacy practice model is being advanced in New Brunswick that aims to improve prescribing and care outcomes for seniors. Through this practice model, pharmacists perform thorough medication reviews and complete technical and ‘cognitive’ checks to assess the appropriateness of drug therapies prescribed, and collaborate with other care providers, including physicians and nurse practitioners, to implement any revisions to a medication care plan. Early results suggest the model works to reduce the number of medications prescribed and can improve care outcomes, relative to when care is not as directly managed by pharmacists.

Be part of the conversation!
This interactive On Call session will be presented by clinical experts in appropriate prescribing (including a representative from CFHI’s Pan-Canadian Antipsychotic Reduction Collaborative) and hosted by Kaye Phillips, Senior Director, CFHI, and Jennifer Major, CFHI

Join us to learn:
About the success of an innovative pharmacy practice model that aims to improve prescribing and care outcomes for elderly
Tips for engaging improving pharmacists and interdisciplinary teams in healthcare improvement initiatives
About the prescribing cascade and its implications for medication reviews