With the first wave of "baby boomers" turning 60 in 2006, a marked increase in the use of prescription medication will follow. Adults age 60 and older use three times as many medications as the younger adult population, a trend that maximizes the potential for medical mistakes.
The 19th Annual Peter Lamy Conference, co-sponsored by the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE), will examine technology and medication safety and its impact on consumers, particularly the elderly, Oct. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, 1 Metro Center in Bethesda, Md.
The Peter Lamy Center at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy focuses on education and outreach programs about the psychological aspects of drug use among the elderly and administers the Elder-Health Program for pharmacy students and retired pharmacists.
Highlights of the conference include two keynote speakers, Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, acting director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and William Noveli, MA, executive director and CEO of the AARP. Clancy will discuss the silent epidemic of unsafe medicine use, and Noveli will focus on improving medicine use among older people wrestling with multiple drug needs.
Other conference topics include enhancing patient-provider communication for the elderly via Web-based technology, medicine and alcohol misuse among people in senior housing, and challenges in adhering to medication schedules.
"Technology is great if used appropriately, but it can hinder patient care if not used correctly," says Nicole Brandt, PharmD, CGP, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and deputy director of the Lamy Center.
The Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging is the focal point of geriatric research, education, and service in the School of Pharmacy. It is online at www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/lamy. NCPIE, founded in 1982, is a national coalition of more than 140 organizations committed to improving communication between consumers and health care professionals about the appropriate use of medicines. It is online at http://www.talkaboutrx.org.
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