Pharmacotherapy Pearls for the Older Rheumatic Disease Patient

Moderator(s)

• AB

  Ann Biehl, MS, PharmD, BCPS

  FDA

Speaker(s)

• AS

  Ananta Subedi, MD

  Wakemed Physician Practices
• SR

  Suraj Rajasimhan, PharmD

  National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Providing safe and effective pharmacotherapy to geriatric rheumatic disease patients can be challenging. Multidisciplinary care involving rheumatologists, primary care physicians and other specialties can optimize benefit and reduce adverse outcomes. Traditional oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, newer targeted DMARDs and biologics have distinctive monitoring requirements and specific adverse reaction profiles. This session will provide clinically relevant pearls for use of these interventions and specific risks to consider in the aging patient population.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify physiological changes that occur during the aging process
• Describe rheumatic disease-related considerations in the geriatric population
• Apply pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic knowledge to dosing considerations in the older rheumatic disease patient
• Anticipate adverse effects of DMARDs and biologics to mitigate risks
• Discuss the role of OTC agents in an assessment of the challenges of polypharmacy

Presentations:

• 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM ET

  Physiologic Changes & Disease-Related Considerations for Older Rheumatic Disease Patients
  Ananta Subedi, MD – Wakemed Physician Practices
• 5:20 PM – 5:40 PM ET

  Medication-Related Considerations for the Older Rheumatic Disease Patient
  Suraj Rajasimhan, PharmD – National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
• 5:40 PM – 6:00 PM ET

  Q&A