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Objective. To characterize student pharmacists' perceptions of the use of posters as a learning tool and their preferences regarding digital posters compared to printed posters for presentation and review. Methods. Student pharmacists presented and peer reviewed posters in a digital format utilizing a tablet with an overhead monitor or a printed format mounted on a poster board. Perceptions of the two formats were characterized for two cohorts of students via pre-and post-surveys and responses were compared. Results. The pre-and post-activity surveys were completed by 543 students (95.3%) and 553 students (97%), respectively. Over 95% of students perceived the poster activity enhanced their poster creation, literature evaluation, and communication skills while also significantly enhancing their learning of pharmacy-related topics. There was a significant increase on the post-survey in the number of students who preferred the digital poster format noting it was straightforward (87.3%), enhanced their presentation (77.2%) and promoted learning (70.5%). Conclusion.Poster presentations provide a platform for the dissemination and discussion of topics within a pharmacy curriculum and allow students to improve presentation and communication skills. Digital posters represent a convenient, cost-effective, and preferred presentation method for students when compared to printed posters.

The course, Geriatric Pharmacy, has been a component of the elective curriculum at Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy for more than 20 years. The evolution of the course from one of traditional lectures and assessment to one of multimedia presentations, learning activities, web-based assignments, and case-study assessments is described. The content of the course has also evolved from that of primarily clinical topics in geriatrics to include the social and emotional issues of aging, and areas and issues of pharmacy practice for geriatric patients.

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) was a public policy initiative intended to improve nursing home residents'quality of life by providing strict guidelines for the prescription of psychotropic drugs (PD) and physical restraints. This study documents and explains the use of PDs in one nursing home at three points in time: well before (1988), immediately before (1990), and well after (1994) OBRA implementation. In 1994, 64.5% of residents in the nursing home had prescriptions for PDs compared with 71% in 1988 and 1990, but those with a PD prescription had more than one (mean = 2.19). After OBRA implementation, antipsychotic and antidepressant use was higher than at earlier data collection points, whereas anti-anxiety medication prescription was at its lowest. In addition, diagnoses of depression and cognitive impairment had increased dramatically by 1994. Explanations for these findings are provided, including possible aging of residents, change in staffing levels, caregiver anomie, the impact of another legislative bill, and the introduction of the minimum data set.

For senior adults participating in the program, improvements occurred in both the lipid profiles and the number of patients at their NCEP (lipid) goal, although the number of seniors with > or = two risk factors increased from 69 (61.6%) to 84 (75.0%). A multidisciplinary partnership for improving the CV health and awareness of an ambulatory senior population is a unique opportunity for pharmacists to provide wellness services for seniors.