Welcome! The CERTs program is a national initiative to conduct research and provide education that advances the optimal use of drugs, medical devices, and biological products. The program, which consists of eleven research centers and a coordinating center, is administered as a cooperative agreement by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The research conducted by the Iowa CERT places priority on evidenced-based therapeutic decision-making involving older patients who are under-represented in randomized clinical trials.

Use of medications by older adults living in the community is far from optimal. Medication errors including over-use, under-use, and misuse are common. For example:

• Between 14% and 23% of older persons receive a medication they should not have been prescribed.
• Up to 40% of patients do not take their medications as prescribed.
• Underuse of certain medications (such as beta-blocker and ace inhibitors) is common.

Older adults are particularly vulnerable to medication side effects because they often have multiple chronic conditions which results in exposure to numerous medications. Exposure to more medications leads to more opportunities for medication errors. The risk for medication errors are increased when older patients visit multiple physicians for their several medical conditions. In addition, the physiological effects of aging can decrease the body's ability to metabolize medications.