Mitigating Risk and Polypharmacy in the Elderly Patient

Overview

Polypharmacy is a prominent issue in older adults. This session will focus on general recommendations as well as practical approaches to deprescribing in geriatric patients.

The session "Mitigating Risk and Polypharmacy" (1.0 hour) is designed to satisfy state licensure requirements (MD/DO/PA/NP) on Geriatrics and Dementia in California

Learning Objectives

• Review and identify common Beers criteria medications
• Define polypharmacy, prescribing cascades, and understand the biological mechanisms which increase risk for adverse effects in older adults
• Describe an approach to identifying polypharmacy targets
• Learn a framework for approaching deprescribing
• Review common challenges in deprescribing sleep aids and benzodiazepines