Using the HyFlex model to deliver a capstone seminar course.

Introduction: The HyFlex course structure allows students to attend class in-person or via synchronous videoconferencing technology. This model has been described, but no data are available in pharmacy curricula.

Methods: Students enrolled in Grand Rounds (GR) were eligible.

"Death Over Dessert" - A conversation with pharmacy students about what really matters in the end.

Background And Purpose: Pharmacists will encounter the death of patients and loved ones throughout their career. Though this is a part of our profession as health care providers, many pharmacy students express discomfort and even fear of discussing death and dying with their patients. "Death Over Dessert" has been developed as a loosely structured discussion held during a required geriatrics advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE).

ABH Gel: Comforting Cure or Pricey Placebo?

Despite a lack of evidence of benefit, the compounded product ABH gel (lorazepam, diphenhydramine, and haloperidol) continues to be prescribed for individuals in hospice and palliative care settings for the treatment of nausea and vomiting and terminal delirium. More effective and reliable pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies exist for the treatment of these conditions in the palliative care and hospice settings. We discuss the pharmacokinetic and clinical evidence for the individual components of ABH gel, as well as the compounded product, and attempt to understand the mechanism of effect that some purport to see, as well as why the compound continues to enjoy such a cult following.

A review of citalopram dose restrictions in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders in older adults.

Introduction: Neuropsychiatric disorders affect millions of older adults. Despite this, there are relatively few older adults included in clinical trials evaluating treatments for psychiatric disorders. Citalopram has been evaluated in older adults with neuropsychiatric disorders and has largely been found beneficial, making the 2011 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety advisory on citalopram extremely impactful.

Safety and Efficacy of Lithium for Treating Bipolar Disorder In the Older Adult.

The population of older adults with bipolar disorder is growing, not only because of the increase in the percentage of the population 65 years of age and older, but also because of an increase in awareness about mental health issues in this population. For years, lithium has been one of the first-line options for treating bipolar disorder, but data in the older population have mostly been inconclusive or extrapolated from younger populations. Questions of tolerability and safety in the older adult have also arisen, as well as its efficacy in comparison to newer agents on the market.

2018 American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Annual Meeting & Exhibition.

Poster abstracts are evaluated based on the following criteria: significance of the problem to healthy aging or medication management; innovativeness of ideas, methods, and/or approach; methodological rigor of methods and approach; presentation of finding; implications identified for future research, practice, and/or policy; and clarity of writing. Submissions are not evaluated through the peer-reviewed process used by . Industry support is indicated, where applicable.

Drug Therapy for Gender Transitions and Health Screenings in Transgender Older Adults.

Transgender medicine is a relatively new field in health care, with only a small amount of evidence-based literature available for reference. This is especially true for the older adult population, for whom most information must be extrapolated from younger adults. Be it a newly transitioned older adult or a transgendered individual who has been undergoing hormonal therapy for many years, it is important that healthcare professionals be aware of the significant effects that transgender pharmacotherapy can have on older adults.

Perceptions of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising and the Older Adult Population.

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) has become a prominent feature of our society and reaches many consumers through their televisions, radios, and computer screens. In 2004, the average United States citizen was exposed to more than 16 hours of DTCA per year, and the number of hours has steadily increased. Drug advertising is a multi-billion dollar business for pharmaceutical manufacturers and affects public perception of medications, both prescription and over-the counter.

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors: evidence and place in therapy.

Type 2 diabetes effects millions of people yet remains difficult to treat with oral pharmacotherapy. Metformin is the first line recommended therapy, and current guidelines suggest individualized therapy for second line selection. Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are the newest class of agents in treating type 2 diabetes via an insulin independent mechanism to lower blood glucose.

Identifying solutions to medication adherence in the visually impaired elderly.

Adults older than 65 years of age with vision impairment are more likely to have difficulty managing medications compared with people having normal vision. This patient population has difficulty reading medication information and may take the wrong medication or incorrect doses of medication, resulting in serious consequences, including overdose or inadequate treatment of health problems. Visually impaired patients report increased anxiety related to medication management and must rely on others to obtain necessary drug information.