Beers List Update: A Review of Geriatric Patient Care

At the conclusion of this continuing education activity, the participant will be able to:

1. Recall common anatomical and physiological aging changes that can affect the safety and efficacy of medications.

2. Identify potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) for utilization in older adults based on the 2019 beers list update.

3. Recognize potentially inappropriate drug interactions for older adults based on the 2019 beers list update.

If the day ends in “Y”, there’s probably a new healthcare guideline being released! In 2019, the American Geriatric Society (AGS) released its most recent update of the Beers List of Medications. This guideline often leaves clinicians pondering just what treatment options are actually recommended to help elderly patient care. Then one can also realize that all of us are generally living longer these days as our geriatric population is exponentially growing. Thus healthcare professionals need to be knowledgeable of the most updated and comprehensive clinical guidance to provide the highest quality patient care possible. In this discussion, we will first review the differences among generations with regard to sociological and psychological factors, and then the changing physiology involved in aging, which is the driving force for the changes in medication selection and dosage. We will then discuss the multitude of medication-related scenarios within the 2019 AGS Beers List Update such as which medications to avoid or use with caution, and drug-drug interactions to avoid, all with particular attention to viable treatment alternatives. Ultimately, we will aim to not only discuss what to avoid but even perhaps what’s left to utilize for geriatric patient care!