PALTC23 Conference Recordings SA15 Best Practices to Tackle Polypharmacy, Decrease Psychotropics and Management Pain in Assisted Living

Best Practices to Tackle Polypharmacy, Decrease Psychotropics and Management Pain in Assisted Living

This session will discuss polypharmacy in assisted living communities (ALCs) regarding all medications. Current data from a large sample of 781 residents from 85 communities will be used to demonstrate the high rate of polypharmacy in assisted living. Further we will describe two approaches used to reduce polypharmacy: (1) deprescribing; and (2) nonpharmacological interventions. Findings from interventions both regarding deprescribing and use of function focused care and optimizing physical activity among residents and impact on polypharmacy will be provided. A combined interdisciplinary approach to address polypharmacy should be considered. The goal of the session is to raise awareness about polypharmacy and the multiple ways this can be successfully addressed in ALCs.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this session, learners will be able to:

  • Identify the risk of polypharmacy to residents in assisted living and the reasons for those risks.
  • List two different tactics to combat polypharmacy in assisted living communities.
  • Describe an effective approach focusing on deprescribing for residents living in assisted living communities.
  • Identify two behavioral interventions to help with deprescribing regarding pain and behavioral symptoms associated with dementia.

Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP

Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, is a professor in the school of nursing at the University of Maryland and the Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology and combines clinical work as an advanced practice nurse in a CCRC with teaching and research. Her research is focused on optimizing function and physical activity among older adults.

E​lizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP

Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP, is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and the Chair of the Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health. She provides clinical care to patients in a variety of settings focused on optimizing mental health.

Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, FASCP

Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, FASCP, is currently a Professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and the Executive Director of the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging. She was appointed as Executive Director of the Lamy Center in September of 2016 to further it’s mission of improving medication use and safety in older adults.

  • 1.25 CME
  • 1.25 CMD Clinical 
  • 1.25 MOC
  • 1.25 Pharmacology Hour

Release Date: 03/29/2023   |   Expiration: 03/01/2026

Credit Statements:

Accreditation: Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

CME Designation: Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CMD Credit Hours: This CME activity has been pre-approved by the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (ABPLM) for up to 1.25 clinical hours toward certification or recertification as a Certified Medical Director (CMD) in post-acute and long-term care medicine. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit actually spent on the activity.

The CMD Program is administered by the ABPLM. Each physician should claim only those credit hours that he/she actually spent in the activity. For further information, contact ABPLM at 410-992-3117 or at cmd@paltmed.org.

ABIM Maintenance of Certification (MOC): Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.25 Medical Knowledge MOC points and patient safety credit in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program.

Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Pharmacology: This activity satisfies the requirements for 1.25 Pharmacology Hour(s) for Nurse Practitioners.

Financial Disclosure Statement:

The Association requires the disclosure of all speaker/faculty/planner’s relevant financial relationships; presence of off-label use of a device or medication; and discussion of any experimental, new or evolving topic prior to each accredited education activity.

If the learner perceives any bias toward a commercial product or service, advocation of unscientific approaches to diagnosis or therapy, or recommendation, treatment, or manners of practicing healthcare that are determined to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or are known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients please report this to the Association's staff.

The following speaker(s) disclosed relevant financial relationship(s): 

  • Julie Gammack, MD, CMD (Planner & Speaker): Stockholder: Amarin
  • Kenya Rivas Velasquez, MD, CMD, FAAFP (Planner & Speaker): OptumRx: Stockholder
  • All other planners, speakers, and AMDA staff have no relationships with ineligible companies.

All relevant financial relationships have been identified and mitigated.

Components visible upon registration.