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To begin your preparation in an informed
and organized manner, you should know what to expect from the actual
examination in terms of the content. The content outline will
give you a general impression of the examination and can give you
specific study direction by revealing the relative importance given
to each category on the examination.
Patient Specific
Activities (35%)
A. Collect and Evaluate Patient-Specific
Information (21%)
- Interpret and apply knowledge
of the following to the provision of pharmaceutical care for
older adults:
- Incidence of disease, comorbidity,
and disability
- Patterns of medication use
- Causes of morbidity and mortality
- Assess and apply understanding
of the following issues to the provision of pharmaceutical care
for older adults:
- Continuum of care
- Wellness and health promotion
- Loss of independence
- End of life issues (advance
directives, treatment issues, quality of life choices)
- Ethical issues
- Evaluate the social aspects of aging in the provision of
pharmaceutical care for older adults related to the following:
- Economic Issues
- Availability of community-based
services (referrals and triage)
- isolation
- losses
- role of caregiver
- Communicate with elderly patients, their caregivers and healthcare
professionals:
- recognize communication barriers including age-related
sensory and cognitive impairments, illiteracy, and language
and cultural differences
- apply strategies to overcome
communication barriers
- apply privacy and confidentiality
principles
- ensure patient understanding of prescribed
therapy
- Evaluate physiological changes that accompany aging (e.g.,
sensory, body composition, organ system function)
- Interpret and monitor laboratory results and procedures for
the older patient
- Evaluate and apply results of standardized assessment tools
(MMSE, GDS, etc.)
- Recognize and assess altered disease state presentations
in the elderly
- Recognize and assess altered psychological status in the
elderly
- Identify and assess compliance/adherence issues affecting
potential treatment plans (e.g., memory loss, sensory changes,
hearing, cognition, patient beliefs, economics, and learning
disabilities)
- Obtain an accurate drug history
including over-the-counter and alternative/complementary
medications
- Obtain and/or evaluate relevant
physical assessment information
- Apply principles of pharmacokinetic
and pharmacodynamic changes associated with aging to the design
of the pharmacotherapy regimen
B. Identify, Resolve and Prevent Medication
Therapy-Related Problems (31%)
- Untreated or under-treated conditions
- Improper drug selection
- Subtherapeutic or Supratherapeutic dosage
- Compliance/ahderence issues:
- monitor patient’s compliance/adherence
with medications and apply strategies to educate the patient
and/or caregiver,
and encourage compliance/adherence with therapy
- promote
elder-appropriate drug labeling and packaging
- Adverse drug reactions
- Drug interactions
- Drug use without indication
- Treatment failures
C. Determine Patient’s
Pharmaceutical and Related Health Care Needs and Integrate
into Care Plan (6%)
D. Select Drug Therapy Goals Which Focus on Function and Quality
of Life (6%)
E. Design and Implement a Therapeutic
Regimen in Collaboration with the Patient and Other Health Care
Professionals (13%)
- Apply concept of risk: benefit
for each drug
- Recommend non-prescription drugs
- Educate patient on therapy options - generics, alternative
therapies, non-drug therapies, formulary options, etc.
- Educate patient on medication-related problems (e.g.,
side effects of medication, drug interactions)
- Recognize need
for referral to specialized healthcare provider for further
evaluation/treatment
F. Patient Monitoring Plan (23%)
- Design plan to monitor for safety,
effectiveness, and achievement of therapeutic goals
- Implement plan
- Evaluate its effects on qualify of life
issues
- Document steps and outcomes of pharmaceutical care
plan
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