Geriatric education in colleges and schools of pharmacy
needs to be a priority given the changing demographics of the
United States. Arguably, pharmacy students require a baseline
minimum competency in knowledge and skills to care for older
adults.12 The argument that pharmacy students need education
on detecting and reporting EAN is difficult to dispute. It is their
ethical and legal responsibility as health care professionals.
Elder abuse has been linked to higher hospitalization rates and
increased mortality risk.13 The victims suffer emotionally and
physically. The high frequency of contact with pharmacists
presents the opportunity for reporting and detecting. Unfortunately,
EAN education may not be integrated in pharmacy
curriculum for reasons such as a lack of awareness or faculty
champion for its inclusion.