A good experiential training program in geriatrics provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in the basic pharmaceutical disciplines; develop management and communication skills; formulate corrective and preventive strategies; and learn rational, safe, and effective drug use among the elderly. (MLW)

A survey of 72 pharmacy schools shows 22 percent of the schools had no geriatric coursework, 35 percent offered only courses in which the geriatric content averaged under 12 percent of course content, and 43 percent offered courses that focused primarily on geriatrics, most including a major clinical component. (Author/MSE)

A program sensitizing health professional students to the elderly's health care needs produced student information gains in the area of aging, favorable changes in attitudes toward the elderly, and positive course evaluations. The broad range of evaluation approaches and the multi-year replications demonstrate the course's value in a pharmacy…

During the Fall 1982 semester, Purdue pharmacy students elected to participate in a 24 class-hour course that stressed instruction and practical experience in geriatric pharmacy services. A major course project was the step-by-step development and presentation of an inservice educational program. (Author/MLW)

In order to meet the pharmaceutical health care needs of the elderly, pharmacy schools must better prepare students. A course developed by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the Health Sciences Consortium to provide pharmacy schools with a model for developing and revising other courses is described. (MLW)

A comparison of the effectiveness of a multimedia instructional module and traditional lecture format, using the pretest-posttest control group experiment design, found the two to be equally effective in teaching content in geriatric pharmacy. (MSE)

A three-component geriatric-gerontology program developed at the University of Utah is described that consists of a lecture course, clinical clerkships, and a gerontology certificate program. This multidisciplinary approach enables students to gain a broad perspective in the complex health care of the elderly. (Author/MLW)

The origin of the responsibility of pharmacy schools to provide continuing education for pharmacists is examined. Characteristics of pharmacists as learners are identified in order to formulate the learning opportunities. Resources needed by schools to develop learning alternatives and strategies for meeting pharmacist needs are also discussed.…

An active learning simulation game designed to increase pharmacy students' awareness of the physical, psychological, and financial difficulties of the ambulatory elderly in handling their medication is described. Questionnaires before and after the game, including a semantic differential tool, indicate that the program is successful in increasing…

A one week rotation in home health care for the aged, included in a required clinical clerkship, provided students with exposure to medical, social, and economic influences on the elderly and provided the patient with nondispensing pharmaceutical services. Improved communication skills and knowledge of geriatric drugs and diseases resulted. (MSE)

Components of instruction and exercises in humanistic health care added to an interdisciplinary pharmacy course on the geriatric patient are described. Included in the coursework are values and attitudes concerning elderly people, interpersonal communication skills, and special psychological and social complexities of old age. (MSE)

Three postgraduate continuing education programs utilized self-paced reference materials coupled with symposium presentations. Programs 1 and 2 were designed to provide more "active" learning elements (role plays, simulations, etc.) and Program 3 consisted primarily of lecture and discussion. "Active" format participants were…

A study investigated the effectiveness on entry-level skills of training six pharmacy graduate students in a primary care facility. Required clerkships in medicine, ambulatory care, and geriatrics were combined into a single rotation in a family practice ambulatory care clinic. Results were positive and have implications for improving some…

A method for increasing interaction between students and older adults in a geriatric pharmacy course uses an instructional module on stereotypes, age and personality, role changes, and nursing home living. The course requires students to conduct a life review of someone over age 65. The exercise improves student communication skills and…

A clinical geriatric pharmacy clerkship containing three separate practice areas (long-term, acute, and ambulatory care) is described. The program follows the medical education clerkship protocol, with a clinical pharmacy specialist, pharmacy practice resident, and student. Participation in medical rounds, interdisciplinary conferences, and…