Abstract
When reviewing pharmacotherapy in older adults, it is essential to comprehensively assess their overall clinical status using the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Accordingly, the importance of information sharing via CGA items among hospital pharmacists, community pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals is increasing. However, current practices in information sharing remain unclear. This study investigated the current practices and challenges related to information sharing through CGA items. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 149 hospital and community pharmacists with clinical experience. The results showed that for many CGA items, less than 50% of information was exchanged among pharmacists (hospital and community) and other professionals. Significant differences were observed between hospital and community pharmacists in the proportion of CGA-related information shared with pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, particularly in areas such as cognitive function and social factor. These findings indicate that information sharing via the CGA items among pharmacists and other healthcare professionals was insufficient. Furthermore, differences exist in the information-sharing practices between hospital and community pharmacists. To address these issues, standardized formats incorporating CGA items should be used to enhance the pharmacists’ information provision. Additionally, increasing awareness among healthcare professionals regarding the relevance of CGA items to pharmacists may help improve the flow of information from other professionals to pharmacists.
