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Posted in April 2016

Bay State College Hosts APTA of MA's Geriatric Special Interest Group

By on April 6, 2016
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On Wed, Mar 2nd, Bay State College hosted the APTA of MA's geriatric special interest group.  Jazmin Turner, PharmD, presented on polypharmacy in the geriatric patient.  Polypharmacy is a growing issue affecting the geriatric population and it can have many far-reaching effects such as medication non-adherence, drug interactions, declines in functional status, cognitive impairment, and falls. Adverse effects of medications are often misattributed to signs of aging and polypharmacy can go unaddressed. The newly updated Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults was reviewed as was the role physical therapists/physical therapist assistants have in addressing polypharmacy.