Introduction:
People with hearing impairment may experience communication barriers in healthcare, which can reduce understanding of medication instructions and compromise patient safety. Community pharmacies are highly accessible, yet routine verbal counseling may be insufficient for patients with hearing impairment.

Aim:
To assess communication experiences of patients with hearing impairment in community pharmacies, including perceived communication quality, understanding of pharmacist-provided information, availability of communication aids, and perceived accessibility of support options.

Material and methods:
We conducted an anonymous, paper-based cross-sectional survey among adults with hearing impairment (N = 41) between March and May 2025. The 17-item questionnaire was developed from the literature and refined through expert review and patient feedback for clarity and face validity. Participants were recruited by community pharmacists using convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics are reported as n [%]. Associations were tested using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests with Cramér’s V. Ordinal logistic regression explored factors associated with reported understanding and accessibility practices.

Results:
Pharmacists’ communication skills were rated high/very high by 56.1% (n = 23). However, 51.2% (n = 21) reported that pharmacists did not use communication aids adapted to hearing-impaired patients, and medication information was not fully adapted in 78.0% (n = 32). Communication difficulties were experienced at least occasionally by 46.3% (n = 19). Although 75.6% (n = 31) had the opportunity to ask additional questions, only 2.4% (n = 1) reported being asked about a preferred communication method. Sign language support was rarely available (92.7% never met a pharmacist able to use sign language; n = 38). Greater adaptation of medication-related information was associated with clearer instructions (adjusted OR = 3.47, 95% CI 1.14–10.62; p = 0.029), and greater use of communication aids was associated with better understanding of pharmacist-provided information (adjusted OR = 12.24, 95% CI 1.99–75.49; p = 0.007).

Conclusions:
Despite generally positive ratings of pharmacists’ communication skills, important accessibility gaps persist in community pharmacies. Routine use of written/visual aids, asking about preferred communication methods, and teach-back to confirm understanding may improve inclusive, patient-centered counseling for people with hearing impairment.