Potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults with cognitive impairment and dementia remains a vexing clinical and public health challenge despite considerable evidence linking the usage of certain types of medications to important adverse cognitive effects. Using the lens of geriatric medicine, this course will provide an overview of polypharmacy, drug metabolism and mechanisms of action, and potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults with dementia in the US, with an emphasis on several key categories of such medications (including anticholinergic and sedating drugs). Additionally, the course will highlight and raise awareness about the importance of deprescribing and medication optimization in this population to prevent adverse drug events.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the scope of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication prescribing among older adults with dementia in the US
Describe important changes in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in older adults
Discuss major categories and mechanisms of action of medications with adverse cognitive effects among older adults with dementia
