The Pharmacist's New Role as Part of an Interdisciplinary Care Team

Excerpt from ASA: (click for entire article)

Prescribing medications for elderly patients is complex and challenging. Of the several ways to improve prescribing in this age group, the following methods appear most effective: geriatric-educated healthcare providers; computerized decision support and order entry; clinical pharmacist drug regimen review; geriatric medicine services; multi-disciplinary approaches; or a combination of these efforts (Spinewine et al., 2007).

Three of these methods (clinical pharmacist drug regimen review, geriatric medicine services, multi-disciplinary approaches) are interdisciplinary and require input from different healthcare professionals with geriatric competencies. This article reviews how the pharmacist’s role has evolved into that of an active member of the interdisciplinary team, with the aim to achieve the best possible outcomes in geriatric patients. A three-part case scenario illustrates the practical issues of caring for the older patient.