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The third annual Focus on Geriatric Pharmacotherapy virtual conference brought together 160 health professionals dedicated to optimizing medication management for older adults. The March 5 event was co-hosted by North Simcoe Muskoka Specialized Geriatric Services (NSM SGS) and GeriMedRisk, an e-consult service that connects Ontario health professionals with geriatric specialists.
“There wasn't a lot of connection between pharmacists in our region caring for older adults,” said Sandra Zaikos, a Registered Pharmacist with NSM SGS and GeriMedRisk. “So we started a community of practice focused on geriatric pharmacy. We have participating pharmacists from all over the region — and now spanning provincially and nationally — and the focus is to support and learn from each other.
“It is as a result of this community of practice, and identification of the need for more educational opportunities, that we decided to start this conference and support clinicians caring for this highly complex patient population.”
This year’s conference saw record attendance, including pharmacists, pharmacy students, nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians. While there are many conferences for pharmacists and geriatricians, the unique focus on the combination of medications and older adults makes this event an innovative addition to the learning calendar.
The virtual setting allowed for national presenters and international attendees, increasing the calibre of content on offer. Karen Cameron, also a Registered Pharmacist with NSM SGS, said they planned the conference by reaching out to identify topics of relevance to those practising in this field.
“One of the pieces of feedback that was repeated throughout the comments was that the topics were relevant and useful,” she said, noting attendees praised the interdisciplinary panel exploring different approaches to a complex deprescribing case, as well as sessions on vaccines for older adults and the effects of climate change on aging populations.
A significant amount of work goes into curating a lineup like the one offered last week. Zaikos and Cameron were joined by their colleague Beverly-Ann Oliver, and this team was supported by resources from both NSM SGS and GeriMedRisk.
