Geri Duty: A Review of Geriatric Pain Management

Guidelines are prevalent in every sector of healthcare, and the prominent guiding force in the care of the elderly known as the American Geriatric Society (AGS) Beers List of Medications has had multiple updates that can truly assist in our care of elderly patients. However, no other medical condition facilitates more consternation with the AGS Beers List medications list than pain management. In fact, upon first review, a clinician may wonder just what treatment options are recommended to help improve function and reduce pain for any given elderly patient. Compounding the scenario further, all of us are generally living longer these days, and as our geriatric population is exponentially growing, we need to be armed with the most updated and comprehensive knowledge to provide the highest quality patient care possible.

This course will review generational, anatomical, and physiological aging differences in order to assess pain management-related medication scenarios referenced in the 2023 AGS Beers List Update. Considerations discussed include which medications to avoid or use with caution and drug-drug interactions to avoid, all with particular attention to viable treatment alternatives, as it is relatively easy to recall what to avoid, but considerably more difficult to remember an alternative. You’re either a geriatric patient (≥ 65yo) or hope to be and, either way, you’ll leave this presentation with new knowledge for patient care!