Previous research has established that rural pharmacists are often the first points of contact regarding health care for elders, and are "gatekeepers" for aging-related information. This project established regionally distributed co-operative arrangements with four schools of pharmacy, one state pharmacy association, and one national pharmacy fraternity. In each of the six regions of the country project staff and co-hosts determined profiles of the region's rural elders (personal, health, and socioeconomic characteristics) and of their over-the-counter and prescription drug use in order to orient geropharmacy and gerontology content to the specific needs of the region. Profile-oriented curricula were then taught on-site to pharmacy and health-related faculty; leaders in state, regional, or local pharmacy associations; and selected community pharmacists. Drug usage profiles were found to differ by geographic region, with several explanatory variables. Independent 6-to 7-month follow-up evaluations by a third party showed some significant changes in participants' practices, within both pharmacy education/continuing education and community operations. This project highlights the need to tailor geropharmacy education to the specific characteristics of the elders in the region. (Author/ABL)