Scenarios for pharmacy manpower in the years ahead.

Many of the statistics on the elderly are well-known, but they bear repetition. The steady growth in the number of elderly is both large and striking. Every day, nearly 1600 persons join the group classified as elderly. There may be more than 40 million elderly people in the United States by the year 2020. It is of the utmost importance to realize that the proportion of elders in the 75-year and older group is increasing most sharply. By the year 2000, almost 45% of all elders will be 75 years and older. It is among the frail old that the most serious health problems are encountered, that the most serious adverse drug reactions are encountered, and that even minor health probelms, if left untended, may well develop into major ones. Pharmacists, therefore, need to look toward an increasing involvement in acute as well as chronic care for their elderly patients and must develop expertise in the delivery of preventive care.