Pharmaceutical care for home-dwelling elderly persons: A determination of need and program description

To determine the need for pharmaceutical care services within a community-based, case management program for elders, an assessment of medication, health, and functional status was completed by a pharmacist on 49 home-dwelling older adults. The goal of this assessment was to support the need for pharmacists as members of multidisciplinary teams that provide comprehensive, in-home care for elderly persons. Pharmacists can identify drug misadventures that have the potential to lead to loss of independent living status, hospital admissions, and death. This article describes this program and the results of the assessment that supported the decision to include a pharmacist on the multidisciplinary team.