Building an Age-Friendly Ecosystem: The Role of Pharmacists in Advancing the 4Ms

The John A. Hartford Foundation has been leading efforts nationally to build Age-Friendly Ecosystems. Part of this ecosystem are Age Friendly Health Systems led by The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in cooperation with The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Catholic Health Association. Age-friendly ecosystems comprise health care settings that practice using the 4Ms approach: 1) asking what matters to the person, and optimizing 2) mentation, 3) medication, and 4) mobility. By asking, "What Matters Most" clinicians give voice to aging individuals, establishing care plans and health outcome goals that align with their care preferences. The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists in cooperation with The Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy are leading an initiative to provide education and training of pharmacists in the 4Ms with a goal of having pharmacists impart knowledge to facilities and practices that provide care to older persons. The Age-Friendly program consists of stages of learning and application over a three-year period with a goal of providing recognition to 2,500 age-friendly pharmacists and identification of age-friendly regional pharmacist champions.