Demystifying Probiotics: Use in the Elderly.

Pharmacists and other health care professionals can be perplexed by the growing body of literature regarding the use of probiotics for a variety of symptoms and conditions and by an increasing number of probiotic products available to consumers. Understanding the functions of the intestinal microbiome, the possible mechanisms of actions of probiotics, the research supporting or refuting probiotic use, and criteria for selecting a probiotic product is essential to making a rational recommendation for patients.

Recognizing and preventing medication administration errors.

Proper medication administration in the long-term care facility is vitally important, as many medications have specific administration parameters that are essential to their optimal efficacy. Pharmacists servicing long-term care facilities play an integral role in observing medication administration in the facility and educating facility staff on proper administration techniques. By being vigilant to potential problems, pharmacists can help ensure that facility residents receive their medications appropriately.

Pharmacists at the forefront: reducing medication errors.

Pharmacists are in a constant battle to prevent medication errors. It is something most pharmacists do not even realize they are doing every day. Some people call it "pharmacist radar." As pharmacists review charts, talk with patients and staff, and interact with prescribers, they are constantly filtering information about medications from numerous sources to ensure that something has not "slipped by" that might cause a medication error. Is that the right dose? Why did the prescriber choose that drug? Where has the facility been keeping that medication? These are just a few questions that are part of the internal dialogue swirling around in senior care pharmacists' heads as they try to ensure the highest level of care for patients.

Unique problems of dementia in the younger patient.

While dementia is often thought of as a problem unique to the elderly patient, nearly one in ten patients with dementia is younger than 65. The etiologies of dementia in this population are varied, including a genetically inherited form of Alzheimer's disease, as well as dementia related to other problems such as Parkinson's disease, Down syndrome, and cerebrovascular disease. Health care practitioners may have difficulty diagnosing early onset dementia because the diagnostic tools and the disease manifestation differ from those of the elderly patient. In addition, treatment of early-onset dementia can also pose unique challenges related to the speed of progression of the disease, depression, and behavioral disturbances, which often plague younger patients with dementia.