Katie J. Suda, PharmD, MS, is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and is the Associate Director of Clinical Therapeutics with the VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion. Prior to these roles, she held appointments at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy as an Associate Professor and Researcher. Dr. Suda’s area of research is pharmacoepidemiology, especially in the area of antimicrobials, and dual use of VA and non-VA health care. Currently, she is researching antibiotics and opioids in dental prescribing, including a focus on veteran use of multiple health care systems.

Dentists, Dental Team Members, Physicians, Nurses, Advanced Practice Providers, and Physician Assistants.

Older adult patients with multiple prescriptions, from multiple prescribers, can add a layer of complexity to the practice of dentistry. This webinar will make dentists aware of the challenges with the careful and responsible management of multiple prescriptions for older adult patients, as well as potential side effects and interactions of the most commonly used medications and opioids. Learn about the 2019 update to the Beers Criteria for inappropriate medication use in older patients, from the American Geriatrics Society, and how it applies to your clinical practice. This webinar will inform dentists and suggest how they can effectively stay current in managing.

At the conclusion of this activity, learners should be able to:

• Describe antibiotic and opioid prescribing by dentists
• Recognize the extent to which antibiotic and opioids prescribed by dentists lead to adverse outcomes
• Identify effective stewardship interventions in dentistry