Seniors For Living

Focused mainly on prescription drug use and its impact on “cost and quality of care and patient outcomes,” a five-year partnership between Pfizer pharmaceuticals and Humana health insurance will investigate three major chronic conditions affecting seniors (and subsequently, their healthcare): pain, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s.

A recent Reuters release gave an overview of the collaborative effort, noting Census projections over the next decade for a 36 percent increase (over 2010 data) in the Medicare-eligible population. This significant data was undoubtedly a catalyst for the joint research venture.

William Fleming, VP of Humana Pharmacy Solutions, and James Harnett, senior director of US health economics and outcomes research for Pfizer, shared potential study results: respectively, drug benefit and coverage plans may change, as could the development of certain Pfizer products in the future.

Whether they live at home or in assisted living, independent living, or other types of senior care facilities, many older adults rely on prescription medications for pain management or treatment of chronic conditions. Regardless of where they reside, medication management (either self-administered or caregiver-administered) has a major effect on healthcare outcomes. If you or a senior loved one takes multiple medications, make sure that concerned family members and those providing care have an accurate list of what prescription drugs they are currently taking, and monitor them carefully.