Canada’s Premiers are discussing the idea of a National Seniors Strategy as they meet this week in Charlottetown.  As part of this, CARP – A New Vision of Aging and Shoppers Drug Mart, want to see pharmacists take a greater role in outcomes for people taking medication, particularly older Canadians.

Approximately five percent of all emergency room visits and six percent of all hospital stays are the result of adverse drug reactions which result in an annual cost of at least $7-billion to the health care system and 125,000 unnecessary deaths each year.

A new poll of CARP members found one third of older Canadians are taking an average of 4 to 5 prescription medications.  And older Canadians are five times more likely than younger people to be hospitalized due to adverse drug reactions.  Susan Eng is the Vice President of Advocacy for CARP.  She is at this week’s meeting in Charlottetown.  Listen here for Susan Eng’s conversation with Zoomer Radio’s Associate News Director Jane Brown on CARP’s efforts to empower Canada’s pharmacists: