Understanding medication management in older adults: experiences of Turkish community pharmacists

Examining the experiences of community pharmacists working with older adults can contribute to improving practices related to geriatric pharmacotherapy management and to better understanding pharmacists’ roles in medication management. The growing burden of chronic non-communicable diseases contributes to the widespread use of multiple medications in later life, and polypharmacy is associated with adverse outcomes such as falls, hospitalizations, and increased healthcare utilization. This study aimed to explore community pharmacists’ experiences regarding medication management in older adults and the situations they encountered during this process. This study was conducted within an interpretive qualitative framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 community pharmacists working in two regional cities in Türkiye to obtain an in-depth understanding of their perspectives and professional practices regarding medication management in older adults. Data were analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis. The interview data were organized into three main themes: perceptions of professional competence, pharmacist intervention practices, and barriers encountered in practice. Participants described medication management in older adults as a complex process shaped by polypharmacy, multimorbidity, fragmented prescribing, limited health literacy, and constraints in interprofessional communication. The findings indicate that community pharmacists play an important but constrained role in supporting medication management in older adults through counselling, communication-based adherence support, and coordination with physicians. Strengthening pharmacist-led medication review, improving formal communication channels with prescribers and providing system-level support for cognitive services may enhance medication safety and promote more rational medication use among older adults. What is already known • Older adults frequently experience complex medication regimens due to multimorbidity and polypharmacy, increasing the risk of medication-related problems. • Community pharmacists play an important role in supporting safe medication use among older adults through medication counselling, medication review, and monitoring of therapy. • Previous studies have examined medication-related problems in older adults; however, most research has focused on clinical outcomes or quantitative assessments rather than pharmacists’ day-to-day experiences in managing medication use. What this study adds • This study provides qualitative insights into how community pharmacists experience and manage medication use among older adults in their routine practice. • The findings highlight the practical challenges encountered by pharmacists, including complex medication regimens, patient-related factors, and health system–related barriers to medication management. • Understanding pharmacists’ experiences may inform strategies to improve medication safety and support community pharmacists in managing medication use in older adults.