| CODE | NUR4146 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Pharmacotherapeutic Aspects in Old Age | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 04 - Years 4, 5 in Modular UG or PG Cert Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Nursing | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Due to co-morbidities, older adults constitute the largest majority of medication users. There is increasing evidence of the serious risks of polypharmacy in older adults. This study-unit will introduce students to the pharmachological issues related to older adults and the role of the nurse in reducing the risks associated with polypharmacy. Study-Unit Aims: The aims of this study-unit are to empower nurses in order to: - Identify important issues related to medication use in older adults; - Evaluate older adults for medication-induced disease; and - Play an important role in the prevention of medication-induced disease in older adults as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Appreciate the public health importance of polypharmacy and understand the challenges and risks of polypharmacy and of medication use in older adults; - List factors contributing to medication-induced disease in older adults and identify medicine categories of concern in the older adults; and - Describe the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics related to medication use in older adults. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Holistically approach medication use in older people; - Intervene in the context of a multidisciplinary team to make better, safer, more effective and more efficient use of medications in older adults including reduction of polypharmacy; - Identify potential medication related issues in older people. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Lehne, R. A., & Rosenthal, L. (2014). Pharmacology for nursing care. Elsevier Health Sciences. Supplementary Readings: - Alexander-Magalee, M. A. (2013). Addressing pharmacology challenges in older adults. Nursing2017, 43(10), 58-60. From: http://journals.lww.com/nursing/Fulltext/2013/10000/Addressing_pharmacology_challenges_in_older_adults.18.aspx?trendmd-shared=%25SPONSORED%25 - Campanelli, C. M. (2012). American Geriatrics Society updated beers criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults: the American Geriatrics Society 2012 Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 60(4), 616. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3571677/ |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Independent Study & Tutorial | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Adrienne Grech Mark Zammit (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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