Jefferson Doctors Talk to 6 ABC About Medication Errors in Elderly Patients
Medication errors can be a major problem, especially for elderly patients; there are many drugs that older people should not take and yet, doctors still prescribe them, unaware of the risks.
Two doctors at the Jefferson School of Population Health, along with Dr. Stefano Del Canale in Parma, Italy, launched a three year pilot program and found that teaching doctors about a list of unsafe drugs can significantly cut the number of mistakes that occur.
In a recent 6 ABC interview about the study, Jefferson pharmacology expert Vittorio Maio, PharmD, MSPH, says, "Most of the time there are alternative medications that can be used that have been proven much safer than ones on the list."
Also interviewed was Jefferson biostatistician Scott Keith, PhD: "We're talking about improving health outcomes, and the quality of healthcare in america millions of people."
See the full story: "Simple solution to drug errors for elders."
Publication: 6 ABC
Published: 1/23/2013