- Overprescribed: Minimizing Prescriptions for Elderly Patients 1h 15min
Featured Review
Description
Older patients carry a disproportionate burden of polypharmacy that negatively impacts their health, quality of life, and longevity. The facts are startling: more than a third of the U.S. population over age 65 is taking 5 or more medications daily. People over the age of 65 are more than twice as likely to visit the emergency department due to an adverse drug reaction than younger patients and are seven times more likely to require hospitalization after an emergency visit. These sad statistics have spurred an awareness of the risk of polypharmacy, but providers are still often uncertain how to best tackle reducing medications in older patients.
This course clearly explains how to approach deprescribing in geriatrics, including case examples. We will review essentials like how pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics change with age and best tools to help decide how to change or stop medications (including STOPP and START, Beer’s criteria, pharmacogenetic testing, and clinical guidelines). We will also discuss how to initiate weaning medications, the importance of harm reduction, the role of OTC medications, as well as how to best approach communication with patients, families, and other health care providers. The goal of this course is to enable the clinician to immediately implement safe and clear deprescribing when appropriate with older patients.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the extent of polypharmacy in geriatric patients and why they are more vulnerable.
- Identify when deprescribing is appropriate and what classes of medications are most critical. Become familiar with tools and resources for quick decision-making.
- Appreciate the strategy of harm reduction and when/how to apply.
- Facilitate communication effectively with patients, families, and other health care providers, including identifying critical roles and teaching self-advocacy.
Course Content
Instructor
Dr. Alethea Fleming, ND is a naturopathic physician and passionate advocate for naturopathic geriatric medicine. She is a Bastyr University graduate and earned a certificate in Gerontology from the University of Washington.
Dr. Fleming, ND is committed to providing whole-person compassionate care to adults. She believes that a physician’s role is to teach patients about positive health choices and empower patients to reach their health goals. Treatment of symptoms is important, but true healing comes from finding and treating the cause. Dr. Fleming focuses on managing chronic disease and acute conditions through diagnostic testing, herbal medicine, nutrition, pharmacy and therapeutic physical techniques.
Dr. Fleming is the owner of the Vital Aging Clinic in Anacortes, Washington where she has provided care to elders and someday-elders for over a dozen years. She also is adjunct faculty at Bastyr University and Middle Way Acupuncture Institute, as well as a proud member of AGS, WANP, and AANP.
Continuing Education Approvals
Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists (CFA)
0.625 CEU total (up to 0.625 CEU Category B) -Direct ApprovalCollege of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia (CNPBC)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category F - Prescriptive Authority, up to 1.25 hours Category G - Ethics & Cultural Safety) -Direct ApprovalCollege of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO)
1.25 credits total (up to 1.25 credits Category A, up to 1.25 credits Category A - Prescribing) -Direct ApprovalNew Hampshire Association of Naturopathic Doctors (NHAND)
1.25 CEUs total (up to 1.25 CEUs General, up to 1.25 CEUs Pharmacy/Pharmacognosy) -Direct ApprovalOregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine (OBNM) - (expires on May 17, 2025)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours General Education, up to 1.25 hours Cultural Competency) -Direct ApprovalVermont Office of Professional Regulation (VT OPR)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours General, up to 1.25 hours Pharmacology) -Direct ApprovalAlliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA)
0.625 CPD total (up to 0.625 CPD Category B) -Assumed ApprovalArizona Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board (AZ NPMB)
1.25 CMEs total (up to 1.25 CMEs General, up to 1.25 CMEs Pharmacology) -Assumed ApprovalCollege of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta (CNDA)
1.25 continuing competence credits total -Assumed ApprovalCollege of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia (CNPBC)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category C - Educational Courses) -Assumed ApprovalCollege of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO)
1.25 credits total (up to 1.25 credits Category B) -Assumed ApprovalColorado Office of Naturopathic Doctor Registration (CO ONDR)
1.25 PDAs total -Assumed ApprovalConnecticut Department of Public Health: Naturopathic Physician Licensure (CT DPH: NPL)
1.25 hours total -Assumed ApprovalCouncil for Homeopathic Certification (CHC)
1.25 CEUs total (up to 1.25 CEUs Category 2) -Assumed ApprovalDistrict of Columbia Health Regulation and Licensing Administration (DC HRLA)
1.25 hours total -Assumed ApprovalHawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Professional & Vocational Licensing (HI DCCA)
1.25 CEs total (up to 1.25 CEs General, up to 1.25 CEs Pharmacology) -Assumed ApprovalIdaho Board of Medicine: Naturopathic Medical Board (ID BOM: NMB)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours General, up to 1.25 hours Pharmacology) -Assumed ApprovalKansas State Board of Healing Arts (KS SBHA)
1.25 CEUs total -Assumed ApprovalMaine Board of Complementary Health Care Providers (ME BCHCP)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours General, up to 1.25 hours Pharmacology) -Assumed ApprovalManitoba Naturopathic Association (MNA)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category B) -Assumed ApprovalMaryland Board of Physicians (MD BP)
1.25 hours total -Assumed ApprovalMinnesota Board of Medical Practice (MN BMP)
1.25 contact hours total (up to 1.25 contact hours General, up to 1.25 contact hours Pharmacotherapeutics) -Assumed ApprovalMontana Board of Alternative Health Care (MT BAHC)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours General, up to 1.25 hours Naturopathic Pharmacy) -Assumed ApprovalNorth Dakota Board of Integrative Health Care (ND BIHC)
1.25 credits total (up to 1.25 credits General, up to 1.25 credits Pharmacy) -Assumed ApprovalRhode Island Department of Health: Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (RI DOH: BMLD)
1.25 hours total -Assumed ApprovalSaskatchewan Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (SANP)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category C) -Assumed ApprovalUtah Naturopathic Physician Licensing Board (UT NPLB)
1.25 CEs total (up to 1.25 CEs General, up to 1.25 CEs Pharmacy) -Assumed ApprovalWashington State Department of Health: Board of Naturopathy (WA DOH: BON)
1.25 hours total (up to 1.25 hours Category 2, up to 1.25 hours Category 2 - Pharmacology) -Assumed Approval
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$50.00
30-Day Guarantee
This course includes:
- 1.25 hours on-demand video
- 1 downloadable resource
- Full lifetime access
- Certificate of completion (PDF)
- Certificate available immediately
- CEs / PDAs as outlined
This course is intended for practitioners.
