Dr. Stefanacci described three major issues related to drug safety in the elderly.

Medicare Drug Coverage
The Medicare Prescription Drug benefit (Part D) became available on January 1, 2007 under the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. The implementation of Medicare prescription drug coverage is an important opportunity for improving access to prescription drugs.

Anyone who is entitled to Medicare Part A or enrolled in Part B will also be able to enroll in Medicare Part D. Part A pays for hospitalization and skilled nursing home care, and Part B helps pay for doctor bills and outpatient services. Over a period of ten years, the drug coverage will cost the government several hundred billion dollars.

The opportunity to switch plans that provide the drug benefit is offered each year from November 15 through December 31. There are over 200 plans to choose from. They are run by insurance companies and other private companies approved by Medicare. Costs and coverage will vary depending on the drug plan that is chosen.  

Drug Safety
Drug reimportation involves people in this country buying American-made prescription drugs from countries to which U.S. pharmaceutical companies export their products, either by traveling there to buy drugs or purchasing them through the mail or the Internet. Senior citizens pursue Canada to buy medications at a fraction of what they cost in the U.S. Today, a 90 day drug supply can be purchased legally. However, they could be unsafe, counterfeit or black-market drugs, which is a health and safety concern. 

E-Prescribing
E-prescribing has been described as the solution to improved patient safety. It is an electronic way to automate prescriptions utilizing software and a network that links physicians to participating pharmacies. This makes valuable information available to physicians and pharmacists. Although it does not determine whether or not a patient is taking the prescribed medications, it does show when and if a prescription was filled. This also provides pharmacists with vital information on the patient’s medication history, possible drug interactions, and dosages.