Pflegeheimen”), which was begun in Vorarlberg in 2012 and was extended to other facilities and institutions in 2015. In Salzburg, the medication of 72 residents of the retirement home in Bad Gastein was evaluated by a pharmacist. After examining the medication, suggestions for changes of the medication were developed jointly with the head of the nursing staff. Building on these suggestions, 40% of the persons taking sleeping pills and sedatives and 45% of the residents taking pain medication received modified prescriptions from the doctor; in 7% of the cases, the residents were able to stop taking psychotropic medication entirely. The Vice President of the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists, Dietlind Strasser, was invited to an NPM meeting in Vienna to learn more about this. At this meeting, she presented the subsequent project “Geriatric Medication Management in Stationary Facilities for the Elderly” Medikationsmanagement in stationären (“Geriatrisches Alteneinrichtungen” – GEMED). The participants are pharmacies and residential homes for the elderly in the following towns: Abtenau, Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, Kaprun, Mittersill, Radstadt, Werfen and Zell am See. The start is planned for May 2016. Salzburg Guideline 3a in the dementia strategy published by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection in November 2015 “Sensitisation, Development and Strengthening of Competence and Qualification of Medical and Non-medical Actors in Facilities and Institutions of Healthcare and Social Welfare Services” provides for structured medication management and the embedding of specialist aspects and implementation of dementia-specific content in the training and continuing education of all participating professional groups. Dementia strategy 2015  The starting point of strategies to avoid inappropriate polypharmacy for geriatric patients is often a complex and time-intensive medication anamnesis.  The extent to which medication is suitable must be evaluated in each individual case and, if appropriate, an intervention in the form of a medication adjustment must be carried out.  At the same time it should be remembered: after the evaluation is before the evaluation. A stocktaking of the situation must take place at regular intervals. 2.1.2.4. Dealing with pain Many believe that pain is a normal symptom of growing older. This is not correct. Often discomfort is simply accepted and the possibilities to reduce or prevent pain are not utilised. The health survey by Statistik Austria in 2014 shows why the topic is relevant in retirement and nursing homes as well. “Every fifth man and every fourth woman older than 75 years of age is affected. Every tenth man older than 45 years of age reports (very) severe pain. Women over 75 years of age have Pain can be influenced even in old age 41