Integrated Medication Management in Community-Based Care: Insights from Australia and Korea’s Pilot Initiative

Beginning in March 2026, South Korea will implement the Community Care Integration Act to establish a nationwide system linking healthcare, long-term care, and social services-particularly for the elderly, who face high risks from chronic diseases and polypharmacy.Although the Act formally acknowledges pharmacists' roles in integrated care (Article 15, Clause 7), their participation remains limited and their clinical expertise underutilized.This study investigates strategies to enhance the integration of pharmacists into South Korea's community care system by analyzing pharmacist-led medication management services in Australia.Australia has developed a robust healthcare and medication safety framework through national and state-level agencies (e.g., Home Medicines Review (HMR), and Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR)).These services improve medication safety and adherence through structured medication reviews and interdisciplinary collaboration.In contrast, pharmacist-led services in Korea remain fragmented and are not yet systematically embedded within the integrated care infrastructure, despite a series of pilot initiatives since 2018 aimed at managing polypharmacy in both hospital and community settings.These pilots, however, offer a foundational platform for national-scale adoption.Based on the Australia's experience, this paper recommends establishment standardized medication review protocols, expanding pharmacist roles services within interdisciplinary teams, and provision of financial and institutional support to ensure sustainable implementation.Deploying clinically trained pharmacists in community settings will be critical to safeguarding medication use and advancing person-centered care for Korea's aging population.