[Concepts to improve medication safety in older patients]

There are specific high-risk situations in routine care that are particularly challenging for medication safety. Examples of such situations include patients with polypharmacy or transitions between health care sectors, such as hospital discharge. Both scenarios become more frequent with increasing patient age and often coincide with a reduced capacity to handle medication in daily life (medication management capacity). This combination increases the risk of critical incidents in care. Therefore, a number of strategies have been developed and tested that aim to increase medication safety. While some of these strategies specifically target older patients (e.g., medication reviews conducted in long-term care facilities), other strategies may be adapted for an older population (e.g., education and training for correct drug administration). This article provides an overview of strategies to improve medication safety in the older population and also highlights specific challenges that may arise when implementing these strategies.