Prescription Management Tool Reduces Medication-Related Risks for Seniors

In 2025, the age-friendly health systems team, pharmacy and Division of Geriatric Medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center led the implementation of an automated prescription management tool across all Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals.

Designed to reduce the risk of adverse medication related health outcomes for older adults, the tool, known as the geriatric prescription context, is integrated into the electronic medical record (EMR). It assists providers by double-checking dosages, frequency, and indications and offering alternatives to prescriptions that may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes for seniors.

“We started with five medications included on our high-risk list and have added three medications each quarter,” said Manisha Parulekar, MD, AGSF, FACP, Division Chief of Geriatrics at Hackensack University Medical Center. “This tool is also allowing us to analyze hospital and network wide prescribing patterns and do targeted education for our providers.”

In the future, the team hopes to collect provider-level prescribing data and study the tool’s impact on medication safety for older adults.

In addition to enhancing patient care and safety, another priority was to create a solution that is easy to use and provides actionable information for providers. The team integrated the intervention within the order context, so it provides evidence-based prescription guidance without any additional clicks.

“We believe we’ve created a tool that allows us to optimize patient care without increasing burden or disrupting workflow for our providers,” said Dr. Parulekar.

Learn more about innovative geriatric care at Hackensack University Medical Center.