December webinar shines spotlight on polypharmacy in elderly patients

The Association is offering a free December webinar that will make dentists aware of the challenges with the careful and responsible management of multiple prescriptions for older adult patients, as well as potential side effects and interactions of the most commonly used medications and opioids.

Putting Stewardship Where Your Mouth Is will stream Dec. 10 from 1-2 p.m. Central. The webinar was previously titled What You Need to Know Now About Polypharmacy and Opioids in Dentistry.

Participants will learn about the 2019 update to the Beers Criteria from the American Geriatrics Society for inappropriate medication use in older patients and how it applies to clinical practices. The Beers Criteria includes a list of medications that frequently cause side effects when administered to elderly patients.

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
• Describe antibiotic and opioid prescribing by dentists.
• Recognize the extent to which antibiotic and opioids prescribed by dentists lead to adverse outcomes.
• Identify effective stewardship interventions in dentistry

The webinar’s presenter is Katie J. Suda, Pharm.D, a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and associate director of Clinical Therapeutics with the VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion. Prior to these roles, she held appointments at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy as an associate professor and researcher. Dr. Suda’s area of research is pharmacoepidemiology, especially in the area of antimicrobials, and dual use of VA and non-VA health care. Currently, she is researching antibiotics and opioids in dental prescribing, including a focus on veteran use of multiple health care systems.

The webinar is presented in collaboration with the Providers Clinical Support System, which offers free education and training at PCSSNOW.org.

Funding for this initiative was made possible in part from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.