C4 Healthy ageing
Wednesday 13 September 2017
09:00-12:00
COEX Convention & Exhibition Center : Grand Ballroom 103 3 hours
Organised by the FIP Community Pharmacy Section, the FIP Health and Medicines Information Section and the FIP Social and Administrative Pharmacy Section
Chairs: Manjiri Gharat (Indian Pharmaceutical Association, India) and Vivien Tong (The University of Sydney, Australia)
Introduction
Today, for the first time in history, most people can expect to live into their 60s and beyond. When combined with marked falls in fertility rates, these increases in life expectancy are leading to the rapid ageing of populations around the world. Pharmacy can contribute to a healthy life as people age. During the past 100 years life expectancy has increased by 40 years, but our brains have remained the weak link. At the age of 90, 61% of patients suffer from cognitive failure, 40% suffer from dementia and at least 10% suffer from depression. After the age of 50, the brain shrinks by 5% each year. Factors that negatively impact the brain are obesity, diabetes, smoking habits, lack of vitamin B12, depression and stress.
The protective factors are education, exercise, mental and social activity, and healthy eating, meaning that a change in lifestyle can delay the ageing process of the brain.
Global concepts of healthy ageing thus have to be built around the new concept of functional ability. This will require a transformation of health systems away from disease based curative models and towards the provision of older-person-centred and integrated care. It will need to draw on better ways of measuring and monitoring health. Nutrition, exercise, cognitive stimulation and socialisation are the factors recommended by experts which help to promote healthy ageing. This clearly highlights a significant role for the pharmacist, not only in the broader role of public health and consumer education, but also in disease prevention and healthy living. The pharmacist can be regarded as the future accessible, experienced and knowledgeable health provider.
Pharmacists in some countries are already offering services to the elderly but a systematic approach is needed to face the health challenges created by the global “grey tsunami“.
Learning objectives
At the conclusion of this knowledge-based session, participants will be able to:
- Identify key areas for pharmacy to contribute in a systematic way to healthy and active ageing.
- Describe how to develop personalised care for elderly consumers at the pharmacy.
- Outline case examples of various types of services provided in community pharmacy for geriatric patients from different countries.
- Specify educational needs and competencies required for the pharmacists to provide services for the elderly in pharmacy — now and in the future.
Programme
09:00 – 09:10
1. Introduction by the chairs
09:10 – 09:45
2. Health ageing
Alpana Mair (Healthcare Quality and Strategy Directorate, Scottish Government, UK)
09:45 – 10:20
3. Population ageing in Korea and new vision of healthy ageing
Heung-Bong Cha (Korea National Council on Social Welfare and International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Republic of Korea)
10:20 – 10:40 Coffee/tea break
10:40 – 11:05
4. Appropriate polypharmacy and adherence to medical plans for older people in Europe: pharmacy’s role for healthy ageing
Alpana Mair (Healthcare Quality and Strategy Directorate, Scottish Government, UK)
11:05 – 11:30
5. Overview of specialty services provided to the elderly and competence development for pharmacists
Tim Chen (The University of Sydney, Australia)
11:30 – 11:55
6. Panel discussion: Assessing needs of the situation, and discussion about the strategy to promote healthy ageing
Moderator: Agathe Wehrli (Pharmabridge, Switzerland)
11:55 – 12:00
7. Take home messages
