ArticleInternational journal of clinical pharmacy2026
Pharmacists' role in recognising medication-related oral health risks in aged care: a qualitative study of pharmacists' and dentists' perspectives.
Article in International journal of clinical pharmacy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionMedication-related oral health complications, including salivary gland hypofunction, xerostomia, dental caries, candidiasis, mucosal injury, and swallowing difficulties, are common among older adults exposed to polypharmacy across aged-care and broader clinical practice contexts. Pharmacists are increasingly involved in medication management in residential aged care and may be well positioned to support the earlier recognition of medication-related oral health risks. Despite this, previous literature suggests that oral health is often insufficiently integrated into medication management, interdisciplinary care pathways, and pharmacist education frameworks.
aimThis study aimed to explore pharmacists' and dentists' perspectives on pharmacists' role in recognising medication-related oral health risks in aged-care practice, including pharmacists' educational needs, interdisciplinary care considerations, and preferred implementation strategies for practical oral health resources.
methodA qualitative descriptive study was conducted in Australia using semi-structured interviews with pharmacists and dentists who had experience caring for older adults, managing polypharmacy, or working in aged-care-related practice. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling to capture a range of clinical perspectives across pharmacy and dental settings. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
resultsThree major themes were identified from thirteen participants (six dentists and seven pharmacists): limited formal preparation for medication-related oral health risks; reactive recognition of oral complications within fragmented care systems; and the need for practical, workflow-integrated resources to support pharmacists' involvement in oral health care. Participants described limited oral health education, delayed recognition of oral complications, unclear referral pathways, and poor interdisciplinary communication. Xerostomia was the most commonly recognised symptom, although participants demonstrated less consistent recognition of objective salivary gland hypofunction and its consequences, including dental caries, candidiasis, swallowing difficulties, and nutritional decline. Concise educational resources, decision-support tools, and electronic prompts were strongly preferred to support earlier recognition and referral within medication management workflows.
conclusionPharmacists and dentists described educational, interdisciplinary, and systems-level challenges affecting pharmacists' involvement in recognising and managing medication-related oral health risks in aged-care practice. Findings suggest that practical educational resources, clearer referral pathways, and stronger interdisciplinary collaboration may support pharmacists' involvement in recognising medication-related oral health risks among older adults with polypharmacy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42747740What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.