Preceptor Training

VA Northern Indiana Health Care System

&

Purdue University School of Pharmacy & Pharmacal Sciences 

Doctor of Pharmacy Curriculum

Geriatrics Rotation Syllabus

The geriatrics clerkship is an opportunity for the Doctor of Pharmacy candidate to utilize and develop the skills necessary to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care to geriatric patients.

This rotation is scheduled for 4 weeks.  Each week consists of 40 hours of practical experience.

Goals:

1. Each candidate will participate in daily patient care assessments (including drug regimen reviews (DRR) and Geriatric Evaluation Management (GEM) consults) and related activities.
2. Each candidate will work with a health care provider (physician, nurse practitioner, and/or physician assistant) and other interdisciplinary team members to provide observation experience and applied geriatrics pharmaceutical care.
3. Candidates will learn the national guidelines and goals for the management of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia (coronary artery disease (CAD)), asthma/COPD, and other disease states encountered routinely in the VA geriatric population.
4. The candidate will assess disease state management of various disease states including, but not limited to, the following:

Alzheimer’s disease                                             Hyperlipidemia

Anemia                                                                  Infectious disease (including kinetics)

BPH                                                                        Osteoarthritis

CAD                                                                       Osteoporosis

CHF                                                                        Pain

Constipation                                                         Parkinson’s disease

COPD                                                                     Pressure Ulcers/Wound Care

CVA/TIA                                                               Psychiatric disorders

Diabetes                                                                                Seizure disorders

GERD                                                                     Thyroid disorders

Hypertension                                                        Vascular Dementia

5. Candidates will utilize appropriate drug information references to assist in answering drug information questions.  This includes primary literature, tertiary references, and electronic media.
6. Medications will be reviewed with the physiologic changes of the geriatric patient in mind.  Medications will be reviewed by the candidate for the potential of the medications to increase a patient’s fall risk.
7. Care plans for individual patients will be formulated by the candidate.  A predetermined number of written and/or orally presented care plans will be presented.
8. Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments will be completed for patients residing in nursing home care units (NHCU).

Objectives—After completing this geriatrics rotation, the candidate will be able to:

1. Select appropriate nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapy for geriatric patients on an individual basis. 
2. Apply the knowledge of physiologic differences in geriatric versus non-geriatric patients to patient care plans.
3. Provide and apply accurate, up to date drug information for situations encountered.
4. Apply national guidelines to patient care with respect to choosing therapy, monitoring outcomes, and managing a formulary.
5. Participate in a clinical environment for the provision of patient care.
6. Complete MDS assessments for NHCU patients.

Daily routine/requirements:

1. A calendar of events will be developed at the beginning of the rotation.  This will include:
   1. Days off for interviews
   2. Due dates for assignments
   3. Due dates for presentations
   4. Meeting times and location
2. Each candidate will be required to have assignments completed by the designated deadlines unless arranged otherwise before the due date.
3. Each candidate will present one oral presentation to the preceptor and appropriate audience.  Presentation may be a care plan, but must be expanded to include disease state review and treatment.
4. Care plans may be orally reviewed with the preceptor and other students.
5. Drug information questions will be reviewed with the preceptor prior to sharing with the individual who requested the information.  Evaluation of the candidate’s ability to answer drug information questions will be continuous.
6. Each candidate will present a journal club review.
7. The candidate will attend weekly CME presentations unless the preceptor makes an exception to attendance.
8. Each candidate will report adverse drug events (ADEs) per institution policy.
9. Daily activities and requirements will be reviewed throughout the rotation and activities may be substituted for those outlined above as appropriate.
10. All notes must be cosigned either by the rotation preceptor, another licensed pharmacist, or the provider/practitioner who is responsible for the issue that requires documentation via progress notes.
11. Each progress note entered may be printed for the student to add to his or her portfolio, however at no time may any patient specific information be released with patient identifiers included (i.e. SSN, patient name, patient address, patient telephone number).

Rotation Preceptor:              Shannon E. Rogers, Pharm.D., CGP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

                                                NIHCS VAMC

Pharmacy Department (119)

                                                1700 E. 38^th St.

                                                Marion, IN 46953

                                                (765)-674-3321 ext. 73477