Geriatric care curriculum in US PharmD programs: What's happening?

OBJECTIVES: Current Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards are not explicit regarding geriatrics content. The objective of this review is to describe published examples of how care for older adults is integrated into Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula at accredited schools/colleges of pharmacy across the United States.

METHODS: PubMed and Embase databases were searched. Manuscripts addressing care for older adults in pharmacy curriculum in the United States were included in the review.

RESULTS: Thirteen PharmD programs have thirteen published examples of how geriatric care was integrated into their curriculum. The most common way geriatric care is integrated into PharmD programs is through Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE) followed by existing course content and elective course content.

CONCLUSION: There is a wide variety of curriculum strategies currently being utilized to incorporate geriatric education into PharmD programs in the United States. However, this may not be sufficient to support the care of the growing older adult population.