Implementing a medication safety and poison prevention program at a senior center.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices encourages pharmacists to assist in preventing medication misuse. The purpose of this article is to discuss a medication-safety education session conducted by a pharmacy professor, the faculty advisor to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists university student chapter and students in a pharmacovigilance rotation, which was conducted at a local senior center. The author attended a train-the-trainer Webinar and then educated the pharmacy students. Participants at the senior center were taught about poison prevention, drug interactions, and appropriate drug disposal through an interactive format. We plan to continue the medication safety program at the senior center as a longitudinal project to promote patient safety. Pharmacists should be encouraged to play an active role in community outreach programs.