Fall-related injuries are a serious public health issue among older adults. In addition to having a significant impact on our economy, these injuries are associated with considerable morbidity. Each year, 1 out of every 3 adults aged 65 and older fall; of these adults, 10% to 20% sustain serious injuries such as fractures or head traumas. Such injuries account for about 6% of medical expenditures for adults 65 years and older. Pharmacist interventions can prevent falls, thereby improving the quality of life of these older adults, preserving their independence, and significantly reducing health care costs.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Fatalities and Injuries From Falls Among Older Adults, 1993-2003 and 2001-2005. MMWR. 2006;55(45):1221-1224.
2.
Stevens JA, Corso PS, Finkelstein EA, et al. The costs of fatal and nonfatal falls among older adults. Inj Prev. 2006;12(5):290-295.
3.
Washington State Department of Health.Falls Among Older Adults: Strategies and Prevention. Sept 2002. http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/emstrauma/injury/pubs/FallsAmongOlderAdults.pdf . Accessed December 5, 2008.
4.
Minino AM, Anderson RN, Fingerhut LA, et al. Deaths: Injuries, 2002. National Vital Statistics Report; Vol 54, No 10. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2006.
5.
CDC Injury Center [home page on the internet].Atlanta GA (USA). Center for disease Control and Prevention; c2008 [updated 25 Apr 2008; cited 7 Dec 2008]. Falls among older adults: An overview. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/adultfalls.htm . Accessed December 5, 2008.
6.
CDC Injury Center [home page on the internet].Atlanta GA (USA). Center for disease Control and Prevention; 2008 [updated 28 Agu 2008; cited 7 Dec 2008]. Cost of fall among older adults. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/adultfalls.htm. Accessed December 5, 2008.
7.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with North Carolina Institute of Public Health; Help Older Adults Live Better, Longer: Prevent Falls and Traumatic Brain Injuries Nov 2008. http://www.publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu/injuries/index.htm. Accessed December 5, 2008 .
8.
Zagaria MESenior care: Pharmacist Intervention Can Prevent Falls. US Pharm. 2002;26(05).
