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1. Which of the following statements about medication errors in older adults is false?

A. They account for 56% of hospitalizations for ADEs. B. Every day 750 older adults are hospitalized due to serious medication side effects. C. Costs of treating drug-related injuries in hospitals is more than $3.5 billion annually. D. Economics costs are the only costs associated with medication errors.

2. All of the following factors put older adults at greater risk for experiencing ADEs compared to the general population except:

A. Cognitive aspects of aging. B. Physical aspects of aging. C. Keeping active with exercise. D. Taking multiple medications.

3. All of the following effects of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes are associated with aging except:

A. Decreased absorption time and increased metabolism B. Change in medication distribution C. Increase in excretion D. Change in receptor number and sensitivity

4. How is polypharmacy most commonly defined in the literature?

A. Use of 10 or more medications B. Use of multiple medications, usually 5 or more C. Use of more than one medication D. Use of multiple medications that are not indicated

5. Older adults often have multiple morbidities and take multiple medications to manage them. All of the following statements are true except:

A. 25% of older adults have 4 or more chronic conditions. B. There has been an increase in polypharmacy with the number of adults taking 5 or more medications nearly doubling. C. 60% of older adults take 5 or more prescription medications each day. D. 18% of older adults take 10 or more medications daily.

6. The Lown Institute has recently issued a national action plan to address medication overload. They cite all of the following factors as contributors to medication overload except:

A. New medication discoveries bringing more choices to prescribers B. A culture of prescribing with an expectation of a prescription C. Knowledge gaps among providers and patients D. A fragmented health care system.

7. Which of the following tools are used to help with appropriate prescribing in older adults?

A. Medication Appropriate Index (MAI) B. AGS Beers Criteria C. Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert Doctors to Right Treatment (STOPP/START) Criteria D. Structured History of Medication Use (SHiM)

8. The MAI, the AGS Beers Criteria and Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert Doctors to Right Treatment (STOPP/START) criteria are all used to assess prescribing. Which statement about these tools and their use is not correct?

A. The Beers Criteria were developed to identify medications/therapeutic classes to avoid in older adults in nursing homes. B. The STOPP/START criteria were first published in 2008 and arose out of perceived deficiencies in the AGS Beers Criteria. C. START criteria are designed to detect common and preventable potentially inappropriate medications while the STOPP criteria are focused on potential medication omissions. D. Many MAI questions are asked as part of the comprehensive medication management care (CMM) process and medication therapy management (MTM) interventions.

9. Which of the following strategies can be employed by pharmacists to help prevent medication errors in older adults?

A. Providing counseling and education about their medications. B. Assisting with resources and tools that can improve adherence and help patients take their medications safely. C. Identifying and referring older patients for CMM and MTM interventions. D. All of the above.

10. Strategies that address factors contributing to medication errors can help reduce the risk older adults may experience ADEs. An analysis of paid pharmacist liability claims showed all of the following as factors as contributors to medication errors except:

A. Failure to consider patient history/medication profile/drug therapies. B. Failure to follow state prescription monitoring programs. C. Failure to review the prescription with the patient. D. Failure to check with the prescriber.