Transcript Talking With Your Pharmacist - Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging

Talking With Your Pharmacist
Background
 Multiple meds & comorbidities increase with age
 Adults 60 and older have an average of four
chronic conditions with multiple medications
 As the number of medications increases, so does
risk of adverse drug effects and management
problems
Med Coordination Partners Needed!
 Medication coordination gaps
between providers
 Older adults are the most
underused resource
 Program is needed to
enhance older adults’
medication communication
and management skills
UW School of Pharmacy Project
 Encouraged by the Community-Academic Aging
Research Network (CAARN)
 Jane Mahoney and Jill Ballard
 Med-Wise Project Co-Directors Beth Martin and
Betty Chewning, UW School of Pharmacy
 Together designed the Med Wise Program
Wisconsin is
lucky…and proud
State law requires
consultation on ALL
prescriptions (new and
refill)
Pharmacists are accessible
Pharmacist networks for
quality care
Pharmacies offer MTM
services… including
immunizations, CMRs
Med Wise Program Goals
 To increase older adults’ ability to manage their
medications safely
 To improve older adults’ skills to talk with their
pharmacists (and other providers) about their
medications
Med Wise Program
 3 group sessions to improve patient communication
and role played asking their questions with
pharmacists!
 Identify risks and benefits with medication use;
pharmacists’ role & why updated medication list is key
 Reinforce importance of own questions, ways to ask
key questions, understand how to fit into schedule
Med Wise Program Was Piloted
 Collaboration between UW School of Pharmacy &
Portage County ADRC with Director, Janet Zander
 Conducted 1 round of 3 classes with 7 older adults
 In the dead of winter and still they came!
Summary of Key Points
 Try to simplify your regimen schedule with the
help of your pharmacist and Med Chart.
 For new medicines, ask 3 “magic” questions 3 P’s
 For refills, tell your pharmacist about changes in
symptoms and medicines in the past month.
 Bring questions. Talk to your pharmacist.
We Learned So Much!
 Thank you Janet!
 Branding, publicizing and recruiting
 Shorten to 2 sessions and make 1.5 hours
 Change the name from “Engaging” to “Talking To”
 Important to have the pharmacist there for role plays
What Did Preliminary Data Suggest? (N=7)
 Pre-post surveys suggested that people increased:
 Knowledge about pharmacists’ roles and laws
 Belief in carrying updated medication list
 Belief in using the pharmacist for medication questions
 Perceived likelihood they would interact more actively:
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Ask the RPh questions even when not asked
Express their opinions when they disagree with the RPh
Routinely ask a pharmacist questions
Ask for more information until satisfied with answer
Ask even when RPh & patient were busy
Next Steps
 Two of the participants have undergone training to
offer the program; intend to train others from counties
 Wrote a Baldwin grant proposal and just received word
that we were funded
 Collaboration between ADRC’s and CAARN
 Adams, Calumet, Green Lake, Marquette, Outagamie,
Portage, Waupaca, Waushara
 2 year funding begins July 1
 Goal to enroll 300 older adults in the 2 years
Bridging The Gaps Together