Addressing the Shortage of Geriatric Specialists.

With a population that is increasingly "gray," our nation faces a shortage of primary care providers who specialize in geriatrics. The number of geriatricians per 10,000 adults older than 65 years of age has decreased steadily since 2000. Health care providers from all disciplines (medicine, nursing, and pharmacy) tend not to choose geriatrics as a specialty area. Some are intimidated by the complexity of caring for elderly patients with geriatric syndromes and multiple morbidities. Others, who have little exposure to geriatrics in their undergraduate and graduate programs, are simply unaware of the personal and professional rewards associated with practice in geriatrics. Some choose to pursue more lucrative career paths. Regardless, geriatrics is a rewarding area of specialty, and pharmacists can pursue additional training to become specialists. Few pharmacy curricula offer intense exposure to geriatrics and elder health care. Numerous ways exist for pharmacists to help close the geriatric care gap.