Developing geriatric-specific pharmacotherapy guidelines: Insights and challenges

Omnicare, Inc, a provider of pharmacy services to long-term care facilities, teamed with the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy several years ago to develop comprehensive evidence-based guidelines for drug therapy in geriatric patients. This interview with members of the Omnicare P and T Committee explores the development of and philosophy behind the guidelines, which are updated and expanded on an annual basis. Among the topics discussed are the guidelines' clinical rating system, how the guidelines are implemented and used as an Omnicare formulary, the biggest challenges in developing pharmacotherapy guidelines for elderly populations, and general advice on drug decision-making for geriatric patients.