Polypharmacy Awareness in Geriatric Calls

Course overview

EMS providers are subject to missed diagnoses, medication errors, and sometimes fatal patient outcomes due to inadequate recognition of polypharmacy complications in geriatric patients. Most medication-related emergencies in older adults can be identified and properly managed when providers understand the signs of drug interactions, toxicity, and adverse effects. This interactive online course will teach you how to recognize environmental and clinical indicators of medication-related complications, identify common high-risk medication types and their associated complications, and gather and communicate medication information effectively to receiving facilities. Additionally, you will learn to differentiate between medication side effects and underlying disease processes, apply appropriate field interventions for suspected drug-related emergencies, and use systematic assessment approaches to analyze clinical data for adverse drug events. You will also learn proper documentation strategies and when to escalate care for complex polypharmacy situations in geriatric emergency calls.