Healthcare for older adults, called geriatric healthcare, is a growing need as the population of Americans aged 65 and older is approximately 54 million people (about twice the population of Texas) according to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau. This means that there are millions of older adults with a unique set of issues and concerns. Geriatric pharmacy is tailored to meet that need as older patients may have overlapping health problems that require multiple medications.
Geriatric pharmacy is one of the more than 100 career options available to PharmDs, and Professor Sunny Linnebur, PharmD, has dedicated her life to the specialty.
“Every day I am a drug detective. It sounds nerdy, but our work is to help prevent patients from having complications of their drug therapy,” Dr. Linnebur said. “Our job is to prevent harm from medications like adverse drug events, drug-drug interactions, complications and rehospitalizations.”
As we age, our bodies change and we react to medications differently. A geriatric pharmacist is trained to recognize and assist in the medication usage of older patients by adjusting medication doses, schedules, and formulations to ensure safety and effectiveness.
There are multiple ways to connect with Dr. Linnebur to learn more about her career in geriatric pharmacy:
- Jan 13: Follow the @CUPharmacy Instagram account and submit your AMA questions to Dr. Linnebur.
- Jan 14: Watch for Dr. Linnebur's answers to your Instagram questions.
- Jan 15: Engage with Dr. Linnebur in the virtual Mile High Meetup webinar to learn more about her pharmacy career and what makes CU Pharmacy such a great place to start your graduate education.
Geriatric pharmacy is just one of the specialties that you can pursue with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Learn more about what a career in pharmacy and connect with Dr. Linnebur below.