Introduction- 5

Dental hygienists are often the first members of the dental team to learn of drugs taken by clients, through conducting comprehensive health history and pharmacologic history reviews.² Because clients, especially the elderly, often take multiple medications, dental hygienists will encounter many issues related to drug use, including drug indications, adverse drug effects, drug interactions, and client behaviors that affect compliance and treatment outcomes. The ability to evaluate these issues is necessary to accurately assess the client’s status and to prevent potential drug related emergencies that compromise the client's health and safety.² The purpose of this course is to review adverse drug effects and to discuss appropriate dental hygiene interventions used to manage the oral complications associated with commonly prescribed medications.