Presenter: Darrell R. Abernethy, MD, PhD, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Introduction
Older patients often cope with multiple concurrent diseases. This presents many opportunities for therapeutic pharmaceutical intervention, but because of the complexity of concurrent-disease treatment, there are also many challenges. Prescribers must carefully assess disease states and appropriate therapies in order to optimize therapeutic effects while minimizing the chance of adverse drug reactions. This module presents background and trends in aging, concurrent disease and therapeutic interventions, with key strategies aimed at polypharmacy — the simultaneous use of multiple drugs by older patients for one or more conditions.
Length of Module: 55 minutes 6 seconds
How to Use the Module
Begin by completing the self-assessment. This will determine your current level of understanding about ADRs.
Next, watch the video presentation of the module.
When you have completed the video presentation, visit the case study and answer the questions.
Finally, for additional learning, access the resources and references document, which includes further information to expand your knowledge about ADRs.
When you have completed all steps, it is recommended that you return to the self-assessment and test your knowledge again.
About the Presenter
The late Darrell Abernethy, MD, PhD, served in a variety of important posts in pharmacology, including directing initiatives at the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration aimed at better understanding adverse drug reactions and optimizing the use of medicines in older patients. He was nationally recognized for his academic research and served as a member of the medical faculties at Tufts University School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Brown University and Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Abernethy earned MD and PhD degrees at the University of Kansas, with further medical training at Harvard Medical School and Boston University. He was Editor-in-Chief of the journals Pharmacological Reviews and Pharmacology Research and Perspectives.
Presented by the PhRMA Foundation Safe and Effective Prescribing Project
For more information, please call 202-572-7756
