| ASCP Fact Sheet The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists is the international professional association representing consultant and senior care pharmacists, providing leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to advance the practice of senior care pharmacy. Consultant and senior care pharmacists are essential participants in the health care system, recognized and valued for the practice of pharmaceutical care for the senior population and people with chronic illness. Senior Care Pharmacy Facts:
For millions of senior citizens and individuals with chronic illnesses, consultant and senior care pharmacists play a vital role in ensuring optimal drug therapy. In their role as medication therapy experts, consultant and senior care pharmacists take responsibility for their patients’ medication-related needs; ensure that their patients’ medications are the most appropriate, the most effective, the safest possible, and are used correctly; and identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems that may interfere with the goals of therapy. Consultant and senior care pharmacists manage and improve drug therapy and improve the quality of life of the senior population and other individuals residing in a variety of environments, including hospitals, nursing facilities, subacute care and assisted living facilities, psychiatric hospitals, hospice, and home- and community-based care. ASCP supports consultant and senior care pharmacy practice and practitioners through the development of standards, guidelines, and policies relevant to geriatric pharmacotherapy and senior care pharmacy; by influencing legislation, regulation, and health care policy to foster and create a favorable professional and business environment for consultant and senior care pharmacists; and by encouraging productive and collaborative relationships with other professional organizations, provider groups, and political and lay organizations concerned with the health care of older persons. Senior Care Pharmacy While medications are probably the single most important factor in improving the quality of life for older Americans, the nation’s seniors are especially at risk for medication-related problems due to physiological changes of aging, higher incidence of multiple chronic diseases and conditions, and greater consumption of prescription and over-the-counter medications. "Any symptom in an elderly patient should be considered a drug side effect until proven otherwise." -J. Gurwitz et al. Brown University Long-Term Care Quality Letter, 1995. The economic impact of medication-related problems in persons over the age of 65 now rivals that of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Medication-related problems are estimated to be one of the top five causes of death in that age group, and a major cause of confusion, depression, falls, disability, and loss of independence. For more than a generation, consultant pharmacists have dedicated themselves to protecting the health of our most vulnerable, often forgotten citizens–residents of nursing facilities. Today, the senior care pharmacists ASCP represents are patient advocates for all of our nation’s senior population, wherever they reside. Estimated Annual Cost of Medication Related Problems:
Consultant Pharmacy Practice Consultant and senior care pharmacists are committed to caring for the well-being of each individual, taking into account the complex interrelationships between disease states, nutrition, medications, and other variables. They are essential players on the health care team, and influential decision-makers in all aspects of drug therapy. Consultant and senior care pharmacists counsel patients, provide information and recommendations to prescribers and caregivers, review patients’ drug regimens, present in-service educational programs, and oversee medication distribution services. In addition to these basic responsibilities, consultant and senior care pharmacists provide a wide range of other primary care services to the nation’s seniors, including pain management counseling, pharmacokinetic dosing services, intravenous therapy, nutrition assessment and support, and durable medical equipment. The groundbreaking ASCP-sponsored Fleetwood Project, the preliminary results of which were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, provides a clear picture of the enormous impact of consultant pharmacist services in achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes and reducing medication-related problems. The Fleetwood study found that consultant pharmacists’ drug regimen review services in the nation’s nursing facilities improve therapeutic outcomes by 43% and save as much as $3.6 billion annually in costs associated with medication-related problems. Senior Care Pharmacy Facts:
ASCP: Serving the Needs of a Dynamic Profession The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists was founded in 1969 to represent the interests of its members and promote safe and effective medication therapy for the nation’s seniors. The organization has grown dramatically over the past quarter century and its membership continues to diversify. Today ASCP has chapters in 20 states and Canada, 31 state affiliates, and hundreds of international members in 18 countries. As consultant and senior care pharmacists’ practice activities expand and diversify, so does their need for innovative programs, information, and resources. ASCP is strongly committed to meeting these needs. Policy and Advocacy. ASCP protects the interests of consultant and senior care pharmacists and their patients in lobbying and congressional testimony on Capitol Hill, with federal regulatory agencies, and with state legislatures. The Society tracks and analyzes hundreds of legislative and regulatory developments nationwide, and maintains an effective political presence through the ASCP-PAC and the Capitol Fund. Publications. ASCP members receive several publications, including: The Consultant Pharmacist®, the Society’s award-winning monthly journal, presenting peer-reviewed clinical research, news, and practice management information; ASCP Update, a monthly member newsletter focusing on policy, advocacy, ASCP programs and initiatives, and state and federal legislative and regulatory developments; and Clinical Consult, an online continuing education monograph, providing in-depth information on a wide range of clinical topics. Practice Resources. To help consultant pharmacists succeed in a demanding and changing health care environment, ASCP offers a broad array of manuals, texts, videotapes, CDs, DVDs and software programs. These include resources such as the Medication Policy and Procedure Manual for Assisted Living and Nursing Home Survey Procedures and Interpretive Guidelines: A Resource for the Consultant Pharmacist. Senior Care Pharmacy Facts:
Traineeships and Research. The ASCP Foundation funds, coordinates, and conducts a wide range of traineeships and research programs in long-term care and geriatric health care. Since its inception in 1992, the ASCP Foundation has provided more than $250,000 to fund such programs. The Foundation is currently sponsoring the Fleetwood Project Research Initiative, a landmark study to quantify the impact of consultant pharmacists’ services in improving treatment outcomes and reducing health care costs. Continuing Education. ASCP offers many opportunities for ACPE-accredited continuing education at its Midyear Conference, Annual Meeting, and other regional and chapter-sponsored meetings, seminars, and workshops. "Medications are probably the single most important health care technology in preventing illness, disability, and death in the geriatric population." Source: J. Avorn. "Medication Use and the Elderly: Current Status and Opportunities. Health Affairs, Spring 1995 |
