What stops community pharmacists from talking with older adults about alcohol?

Details

This qualitative study explored barriers and enablers influencing Western Australian (WA) community pharmacists' knowledge, confidence, willingness and practice in engaging older clients (>60 years) in alcohol-related health discussions.

Researchers conducted two focus groups with a total of 14 community pharmacists. These participants had previously completed a formative quantitative survey (n = 63) and indicated willingness to join a follow-up focus group. The focus group questions were informed by the survey results and explored participants' perceptions of barriers and enablers to providing alcohol-related health information and advice to older clients (60+ years). Shaw and colleagues' theoretical framework was used to understand these barriers and enablers in terms of role legitimacy, role adequacy and role support.

Participants acknowledged that providing alcohol-related health information to older clients is a legitimate part of a community pharmacist's role. Most were confident doing so in situations they saw as central to their professional practice, such as dispensing medicines. However, many reported limited knowledge, skills and confidence in helping older clients who might have alcohol issues beyond advising them about medication and alcohol use. They also identified structural barriers, including time and financial barriers.

The study concluded that routine professional practice, including dispensing medicines and home medicine reviews, may offer valuable opportunities to engage older clients in alcohol-related discussions. However, pharmacists' limited knowledge of appropriate strategies to help older clients reduce alcohol consumption, together with limited skills and confidence in raising sensitive alcohol-related issues, suggested a need for specific alcohol-related training and support.