FOR RELEASE: December 29, 2003
CONTACT: Pamela Williams
Office of Communications
405/271-5601

Using Medications Safely is the Topic at January Oklahoma Arthritis Network Meeting

Using Medications Safely: A Key Ingredient to Your Health will be the topic of the next meeting of the Oklahoma Arthritis Network (OAN) on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2004.

The meeting will be held at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, 1000 N.E. 10th Street, Oklahoma City, at 2 p.m. in Room 314, and is open to the public. The presentation and discussions are focused toward people over the age of 65 but are also relevant to anyone on many medications or someone who is having problems with medications.

Guest speaker will be Mark A. Stratton, Pharm.D., BCPS, FASHP, director of the Institute for Geriatric Pharmacy at the OUHSC College of Pharmacy, and Professor of Pharmacy and Herbert and Dorothy Langsam Endowed Chair in Geriatric Pharmacy. Dr. Stratton has numerous publications in the area of geriatric pharmacotherapy and has presented on this topic both nationally and internationally.

His plans for geriatric pharmacy include working with other aging initiatives in Oklahoma to address the effects of drug therapy in older persons through education, research and service activities.

The OAN presentation will cover:

• Health and economic consequences from adverse reactions to medications in the elderly.
• Why older people experience more adverse reactions to medications than younger people.
• Why medication-related problems result in more serious consequences for older people.
• Medications from which older people tend to suffer the most adverse reactions.
• The importance of discussing not only prescription medications with your doctor but also over-the-counter and herbal products as well.
• Recommendations about appropriate medications to use including medications for managing the pain associated with arthritis.
• Problems associated with medications and a decline in the quality of life.
• Problems associated with adherence or compliance to prescribed medications.
• Strategies to improve safe medication use such as getting older people more involved in the decision-making process about medications with their doctor and pharmacist.
• Behaviors to change to reduce the risk of adverse effects from medications.

OAN features various speakers and presentations for the public to help maximize the quality of life for Oklahomans with arthritis and related health conditions through developing resources, promoting access to health care and offering public health education programs. Currently, there are about 100 public and private health and non-health related organizations in the OAN.

For information about arthritis, and to learn more about upcoming speakers, presentations and activities available through the OAN, call Marisa New at 405/271-9444, ext. 56410.

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