The Role of Pharmacies and Patent Medicine Stores in Geriatric Care

Life is a cycle that begins with infancy to old age. Ageing is very distinctive from illness, it is a normal occurrence in humans. It often leaves older adults with reduced physiological and physical abilities. According to the WHO, the population of elderly people in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to reach 67 million by 2025 and 163 million by 2050.

While life expectancy has increased in the region, there is a persistence in infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc. Although the cognitively fit elderly have access to standard health-care facilities, they still require an active ageing program to remain independent and live a normal life.

Responding to the Challenges associated with ageing

There is nothing like a typical senior citizen. The physical and mental capabilities of some older adults are comparable to those of younger adults. For example, a ninety-year-old could have a memory as good as a twenty-five-year-old while another may have memory loss. The wide spectrum of older people’s experiences necessitates a comprehensive public health response. People’s physical and social circumstances as well as the impact these factors have on health behaviour account for a significant portion of the problem. Personal traits like our birth family, gender, and race skew our relationships with our environment resulting in health disparities.

Older adults are often stereotyped as fragile and a societal burden. Healthcare officials and society as a whole urgently need to address ageism which fosters discrimination. If nothing is done, it will affect policymaking and hinder older citizens from experiencing healthy ageing. This is why pharmacies and patent medicine stores have an important role to play in geriatric care.

What is Geriatric care?

Geriatric care is a response to the challenges associated with ageing, a branch of medicine that focuses on healthcare for elderly people to promote health by preventing and treating diseases. Geriatrics differs from adult medicine because it focuses on the unique needs of elderly persons. Culture and value systems over the years have been passed from generation to generation, to preserve culture and values, we must strive to protect the elderly population.

The aim of Geriatric care

The basic concept of geriatric care is to recognize functional impairments in the elderly and find ways to enhance their residual function. The aim of providing geriatric care is to;

● Improve the quality of life in elderly persons

● Detect severe health challenges at an early stage

● Reduce medication problems.

Ageing gracefully is wonderful but it’s just theory. In reality, it can be challenging, aging goes beyond the physical outlook. Lifestyle and healthcare changes are needed to cope with the challenges associated with it. Age-related changes are categorized into three: physical, emotional, and cognitive.

● Physical signs; as one advances in age, the body goes through changes. For instance, bones begin to shrink, muscles lose flexibility and strength impacting balance and coordination. Other changes occur in the digestive, cardiovascular system, etc.

● Emotional signs; emotional signs can take on various forms, for instance, elderly people may become withdrawn and irritable because of the inability to do things once enjoyed. This often leads to a feeling of uselessness and depression.

● Cognitive signs; a decline in cognitive skills such as memory problems can impair an elderly person from living safely and independently.

Significant diseases associated with geriatric care include; Parkinson’s disease, dementia, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid, arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc.

The Roles of Pharmacies and Patent Medicine Stores in Geriatric care

For older patients, developing a stable relationship with a pharmacy or patent medicine store can help ensure consistency in care. The most accessible healthcare providers, which are pharmacies and patent medicine vendors, can help track drug use and provide valuable drug information to patients and other healthcare practitioners.

● Patient Medication management

Many older people take multiple medications that increase the risk of potential complications. Pharmacists and patent medicine vendors keep track of medications as well as past, present, and evolving health factors and help older patients get the benefits of medications without unwanted drug interactions. With the Patient Medication Record (PMR system) in Remedial Rx, you can decipher disease patterns in patients in your pharmacy or patent medicine store and know the medications, stock them more and also help them prevent drug interactions and adverse effects. To access this feature and manage patient medication, Download Remedial Rx.

● Chronic disease management

Pharmacies and patent medicine stores can help in managing chronic diseases by monitoring BP, and blood glucose, counselling patients and suggesting lifestyle changes. You can also dispense medications as needed to alleviate symptoms and lower the risk of complications. By stocking antihypertensives, antidiabetics, antiarrhythmics, and lipid-lowering drugs at competitive prices, providing the right information, and helping older patients monitor their numbers, your pharmacy and patent medicine store will be well equipped to provide geriatric care.

● Preventive care

Certain diseases and medical conditions become more common as people age, examples include; arthritis, dementia, osteoporosis, etc. Pharmacies and patent medicine stores help in prescribing preventive care measures such as medicines, supplements, and exercises to promote health and lifestyle. Download Remedial Rx to procure medicines at discounted rates with minimized lead time. With Remedial Rx, you get the best direct-from-manufacturer rates.

● Lifestyle support programs

In addition to medical care, pharmacies and patent medicine stores can provide lifestyle support programs- e.g weight management, nutrition plans, fall prevention, etc. Pharmacies and patent medicine stores can also partner with support groups in communities to foster a healthy and confident life in older adults. Elderly patients can also benefit from family education and support programs led by these support groups to learn how to set boundaries to avoid elder abuse.

Closing thoughts

With ageing comes physiological changes that are capable of affecting the way the human body metabolizes medications. Polypharmacy is a rampant thing in older adults and this increases the risk of adverse reactions which can lead to hospitalizations. It is estimated that 30 percent of all hospital admissions of older adults are medication-related. With assistance from pharmacies and patent medicine stores, approximately half of these hospitalizations can be prevented. For more information on how Remedial Health can partner with your pharmacy or patent medicine store to assist in providing geriatric care to the elderly in Africa, visit www.remedial.health.