This book, written by a pharmacologist and a nurse, discusses issues related to drug use in the older adult. It discusses the effects of medications as well as other drugs (OTC, recreational, anti-aging) in the aging body but also the effects of drug use in age-related diseases.
The purpose is two-fold. The first is to present a comprehensive evaluation of drug use in the older adult based on principles of pharmacology and gerontology and validated by clinical observations, reviews and trials. Professional care givers for the older adult - nurses, other practitioners, and technicians will benefit by learning the many ways in which age and age-dependent diseases influence medication efficacy, adverse reactions and toxicities. Understanding these relations creates the opportunity to improve efficacy and minimize adverse and toxic reactions and provide optimal health care. The book discusses drug use in a wide variety of age-related diseases, syndromes and conditions.
The second purpose is to present a readable reference for the interested older adult on all types of drug use - medications to recreational to anti-aging drugs. This book provides scientifically validated information on current drug topics that are usually covered by unsubstantiated marketing information.
Dr. Glenda Bilder has extensive basic research and pharmaceutical experience (>20 years) with major pharmaceutical firms, Rhone Poulenc Rorer (now Sanofi), Hoffman-La Roche, Merck & Co and GlaxoSmithKline. She is first author on over thirty published peer-reviewed manuscripts, has presented scientific findings at national and international meetings, lectured in pharmacology and aging on the college level (Gwynedd Mercy University) to science, gerontology and nursing students. She has written FDA pharmacology reports that contributed to a drug approval. Her experience enables her to review, assess and prepare concise critiques of relevant preclinical and clinical journal papers in pharmacology and aging and also to present this material in a lecture/seminar or book format. She has written 4 book chapters and authored a textbook, Human Biological Aging, from macromolecules to organ-systems, Wiley, 2016.
Dr. Bilder received her PhD in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, and completed postdoctoral training fellowships at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, NJ in gerontology research and Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA in molecular biology.
Dr. Bilder has in-depth experience in the design, implementation, analysis and presentation of efficacy evaluation of small molecules in animal and cellular models of cardiovascular, metabolic and oncological diseases. She investigated the role of pituitary hormones in aging of the immune and cardiovascular systems and was the team leader in the development of PDGF-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors for the treatment of restenosis.
Dr Patricia Brown O'Hara, RN PhD has been a nurse for over 45 years. She received her PhD in Nursing Education in 2013 from Widener University. Her nursing specialties include medical surgical nursing, Community Health Nursing, Geriatrics and Nursing Administration. Currently she is a Full Professor(tenured) and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate students, at Gwnedd Mercy University, where she has been teaching for 21 years. Her research includes: The Influence of Academic Coaching on BSN students' academic success, Perceptions of the Academic Coaching Relationship,& NCLEX RN Success. She developed "The O'Hara Perception of the Coaching Experience" research instrument which has been used by 5 Doctorate students. She has done numerous presentations both nationally and internationally, on Academic Coaching, Gerontology, and Nursing Study Abroad. She currently serves on the Board of trustees at Grand View Hospital. and is a Legal Nurse Consultant. She was part of the Initial NLN ACES team on BEST practice for Older Adults. She is a Part Time Educator for ATI Testing where she delivers 3 -4 ATI NCLEX 3 Day Live Reviews yearly.
