Clinical Medicine

(SA15) Best Practices to Tackle Polypharmacy, Decrease Psychotropics and Management Pain in AL

Saturday, March 11, 2023

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

Room: 124/125

CME: (1) MOC: (1) CMD Clinical: (1) Nursing Contact Hours: (1) AAFP: (1)

This session will discuss polypharmacy in assisted living communities (ALCs) regarding all medications . Current data from a large sample of 781 residents from 85 communities will be used to demonstrate the high rate of polypharmacy in assisted living. Further we will describe two approaches used to reduce polypharmacy: (1) deprescribing; and (2) nonpharmacological interventions. Findings from interventions both regarding deprescribing and use of function focused care and optimizing physical activity among residents and impact on polypharmacy will be provided. A combined interdisciplinary approach to address polypharmacy should be considered. The goal of the session is to raise awareness about polypharmacy and the multiple ways this can be successfully addressed in ALCs.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this session, learners will be able to:

Identify the risk of polypharmacy to residents in assisted living and the reasons for those risks
List two different tactics to combat polypharmacy in assisted living communities
Describe an effective approach focusing on deprescribing for residents living in assisted living communities
Identify two behavioral interventions to help with deprescribing regarding pain and behavioral symptoms associated with dementia

Session Chair/Speaker(s)

BR

Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP

Professor
Baltimore, Maryland

Slides PDF

Speaker(s)

Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, FASCP

Professor and Executive Director
Baltimore, Maryland
EG

Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP (she/her/hers)

Professor and Chair, Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health
Baltimore, Maryland