Cardinal Health Foundation educates seniors, caregivers around drug misuse
DUBLIN, Ohio — The Cardinal Health Foundation and the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy on Wednesday released an interactive toolkit that pharmacists, healthcare providers, community organizations and others can use to educate their communities about how to avoid the misuse of prescription drugs. The groups also announced its new partnership with the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists to promote the toolkit among older adults and their caregivers.
The newest GenerationRx toolkit is intended to help individuals avoid medication-related problems, also known as "adverse drug events," so they can get the best results from their medications. Its focus on preventing prescription drug misuse is a complement to the outreach program’s previously released toolkits, which focus on the prevention of prescription drug abuse.
"We know that older adults are 2.5 times more likely to experience an adverse drug event than younger individuals and seven times more likely to be hospitalized for an adverse drug event than younger individuals,” stated Janice Feinberg, research director at the ASCP Foundation. “But researchers estimate that about one-third of all medication-related problems in older adults are preventable, and that’s why we’re so pleased to partner with the Cardinal Health Foundation and the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy to help raise awareness among older adults about how to avoid the misuse of prescription drugs.”
The new Generation Rx Senior/Best Use of Medications toolkit provides all the resources needed to conduct an educational session at a senior center, library, independent living home or other location where a group of older adults or caregivers gather. The toolkit features a variety of discussion-based and interactive materials that can be used to customize a 30- to 60-minute presentation to educate older adults and their caregivers about the safe use of medications. It also offers simple steps and suggestions for avoiding adverse drug events.
ASCP will introduce the GenerationRx Senior/Best Use of Medications toolkit at its annual meeting next month, and at upcoming meetings hosted by the American Society on Aging and the National Areas Agencies on Aging.
Preventing prescription drug abuse and misuse is one of the key strategic priorities of the Cardinal Health Foundation. The Foundation’s previously released GenerationRx toolkits, also developed in partnership with the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, are designed to educate teen and adult audiences about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and misuse.
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