Treatment of Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy in Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: To review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, screening and diagnosis, and optimal treatment of diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) and its implications in older adults.

Data Sources, Study Selection, Data Extraction, Data Synthesis: A search of PubMed using the Mesh terms "diabetes," "type 1," "insulin-dependent," "T1DM," and "diabetic autonomic neuropathy" was performed to find relevant primary literature. Additional search terms "epidemiology," "geriatric," and "risk" were employed.

A Closer Look at the 2015 Beers Criteria.

The Beers Criteria identifies potentially inappropriate medications for patients who are 65 years of age and older. Initially published in 1991, the criteria have been updated multiple times, most recently in 2015. The Beers Criteria is a tool designed to alert health-care providers to the potential harms of specific medications so they may better tailor therapeutic regimens for their elderly patients.

Updated Nitrofurantoin Recommendations in the Elderly: A Closer Look at the Evidence.

The American Geriatrics Society 2015 Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel has revised its recommendation to avoid use of nitrofurantoin in renal impairment from patients with a creatinine clearance (Clcr) of less than 60 mL/min to those with a Clcr of less than 30 mL/min, based on two retrospective studies that identified the safety and efficacy of nitrofurantoin in this population. This change in recommendation, along with increasing resistance to both sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and fluoroquinolones, gave rise to the advantages of nitrofurantoin and may reflect a surge in prescribing among the elderly. The purpose of the manuscript is to provide readers with a brief review of updated evidence to confidently treat older patients with nitrofurantoin.

Donepezil 23 mg: a brief insight on efficacy and safety concerns.

As life expectancy increases, it is imperative that health care providers recognize the importance of safe medication use within an aging geriatric population. Dealing with a cohort that has different biological and medical demands requires pharmacists to pay particular attention to details when treating this subset of individuals. In particular, this manuscript will focus on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and considerations when dealing with new treatment options.

Pharmacy student absenteeism and academic performance.

Objectives: To assess the association of pharmacy students' personal characteristics with absenteeism and academic performance.

Methods: A survey instrument was distributed to first- (P1) and second-year (P2) pharmacy students to gather characteristics including employment status, travel time to school, and primary source of educational funding. In addition, absences from specific courses and reasons for not attending classes were assessed.