Canadian university faculties of pharmacy: Undergraduate curriculum survey of geriatric content

The present geriatric content of undergraduate education in Canadian pharmacy schools was examined. A 35-item survey covering a range of educational topics was sent to relevant faculty members at each of the Canadian schools of pharmacy. All nine Canadian faculties of pharmacy responded. Only three schools had a separate geriatric course, the rest had integrated geriatric content. Both clinical and didactic courses were taught primarily by pharmacy faculty, and rarely by medicine faculty. Established guidelines surrounding inappropriate prescribing practices in the elderly were specifically taught in most schools. Innovative strategies included role playing, geriatric therapeutics "hot-lines" manned by pharmacy students, geriatric education modules, and geriatric pharmacology textbooks written by faculty members. The variability in the geriatric curriculum could be addressed with a mandatory geriatric issues pharmacy course. Partnerships with academic divisions of geriatric medicine and clinical pharmacology could further enrich the educational experience for pharmacy and medical students.