Knowledge of pharmacy graduates of consultant pharmacy practice

Objective. To assess pharmacy graduates' knowledge of geriatric pharmacotherapy and long-term care regulations for consultant pharmacy practice. Methods. A 37-item survey was administered to the pharmacy classes of 1998, 1999, and 2000. Questions addressed both federal regulations governing long-term care and geriatric pharmacotherapy. Results. The majority of 79 survey respondents were practicing in community or hospital pharmacy. Of the respondents, 70.5% reported that they were prepared for being a consultant pharmacist in a long-term care setting. Conclusions. Didactic and experiential courses with an emphasis on geriatric pharmacotherapy are necessary to provide pharmacy students basic knowledge to meet the needs of our aging population.