The pharmacist's role in preventing medication errors in older adults.

Approximately 1.5 million medication errors occur each year in the United States. Older adults may be at increased risk for these errors as a result of a variety of contributing factors such as inappropriate medication use, polymorbidity, and complexities in managing dosage adjustments for geriatric patients. Pharmacists, as trained medication experts, are uniquely poised to lead efforts to prevent, detect, and resolve medications errors. As the American population continues to age, future pharmacists are likely to play an even greater role in promoting safe and effective medication use in older adults. In this paper, we highlight common settings for medication errors in older individuals, explore tools and solutions for error prevention, and outline the unique role that pharmacists have in preventing medication errors in older adults.