Ifphpos0047 pharmacy First In Fall Prevention: Developing A Pharmacist-led Referral Pathway To Tai Chi Prime

Falls are a leading cause of injury and death among older adults. Use of fall-risk increasing drugs, polypharmacy, and chronic conditions such as arthritis and diabetes further increase fall risk. Despite the availability of evidence-based fall prevention programs, participation remains low due to barriers including limited access, transportation, and awareness. Community pharmacies, as accessible and trusted points of care, are well-positioned to assess fall risk and connect patients to community-based resources. Tai Chi Prime (TCP), a National Council on Aging-certified fall prevention program, has been adapted for communities of colour and is currently being disseminated in two Midwestern cities; however, referrals rely primarily on informal pathways. This study aims to assess the acceptability of integrating pharmacists into a fall prevention referral pathway and to identify facilitators and barriers to pharmacist-led referral of high-risk older adults to TCP.We invited six pharmacists and six community-dwelling adults (≥65 years) to participate in semi-structured interviews between December 2024 and November 2025. Following the interviews, participants were invited to a nominal group session to discuss and prioritise feasible referral strategies. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using conventional content analysis.Preliminary findings from pharmacists’ interviews indicated strong readiness to engage in fall prevention referral activities. Older adult data collection is ongoing, with analysis expected to further clarify acceptability, preferred referral modalities, and barriers to uptake.Findings will inform the development of a feasible pharmacy-based referral model to expand access to TCP and strengthen pharmacists’ role in fall prevention.