Silos to systems: three models for developing geriatric interprofessional education.

OBJECTIVE: To describe three interprofessional education (IPE) programs in geriatrics and to encourage senior care pharmacists' innovation and participation in IPE teaching. DESIGN: Description of three geriatric IPE programs showing how pharmacy faculty along with colleagues in other health professions established, conducted, and evaluated their respective IPE programs. SETTING: Schools of pharmacy and their affiliated interprofessional geriatric clerkship sites. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Reported are program histories, participating health professions, teaching objectives, program designs and operations, outcomes, funding sources, challenges and barriers encountered, and strategies to overcome problems. Learning activities to enable students to achieve competencies recommended by the Institute of Medicine and the Partnership for Health in Aging are described for each of the three IPE programs. RESULTS: All three programs provide learning activities that help students achieve core interprofessional competencies. The two programs in which students, with preceptor supervision, have provided direct patient care services have long histories, despite challenges and barriers. The third program has established curriculum plans that will be implemented upon resolution of challenges. CONCLUSION: Successful geriatric IPE programs can be established and conducted in various practice settings. Program sustainability requires participation and interaction of faculty, site preceptors, and students of multiple health professions; administrative and funding support of collaborating partners; and a curriculum that fosters teamwork, shared responsibilities, and joint decision-making while delivering patient-centered care. Senior care pharmacists need to be proactive partners in establishing and conducting IPE in geriatrics.

A pilot study of pharmacist medication regimen reviews for long-term care residents.

Current legislation requires pharmacist medication regimen reviews (MRRs) for residents of nursing facilities, but not for adult family homes or assisted living facilities. However, residents living in adult family homes and assisted living facilities, like residents of nursing facilities, often have complicated medication histories. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential benefits of on-site MRRs for long-term care residents, specifically those living in adult family homes and assisted living facilities. Comprehensive MRRs were conducted at three different facilities (two adult family homes and one assisted living facility), and medication intervention recommendations were sent to the residents' primary care providers. There were 77 total recommendations made for 15 residents (average five recommendations per resident). Five of 12 primary care providers (42%) responded to pharmacist recommendations and accepted 10 of the 21 (48%) recommendations. This study helps confirm that on-site MRRs by pharmacists can identify potential medication problems, reduce polypharmacy, and reduce medication costs for residents of adult family homes and assisted living facilities through communication with primary care providers.