Pharmacist crusades against ignored drug interactions in elderly

Interesting article in the recent AARP magazine. There’s a pharmacist who years ago took a stand against where the healthcare industry has been trying to pigeonhole pharmacists–that is, as nothing but the order filler. He set up his practice with a carpeted waiting room and a consultation area. Why?

Because he believes that the pharmacist’s job is to watch out for the patient in ways that many doctors today do not–namely, to be responsible for studying drug interactions and making sure that when they prescribe a drug, it isn’t going to cause a patient problems.

With annual drug costs for the average elderly person in a nursing home hanging at the $18,000 level, this is a serious business concern, too. But he’s worried–and has plenty of evidence for feeling that way–that many elderly people are being made extra miserable by the truckloads of drugs they’ve being fed every day without regard to how they make the person feel.

Tremendous opportunity for bioscience companies working on this issue.

More info for people needing help: The American Society of Consultant Phamacists and SeniorCarePharmacist.com