PHARMACY | SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Tackling the Big Obstacles Pharmacies turn their attention to factors driving disparities in health By Sandra Levy
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t takes a village to raise a child. Many retail chain and independent pharmacies are heeding this proverb, as evidenced by the extent to which they are working fervently to address the social determinants of health, as well as the health disparities that impact many patients in the communities they serve. To be sure, tackling the varied and complex circumstances that affect many of these patients’ lives is a Herculean task, one that requires innovative strategies and investments to yield a cornucopia of benefits. It appears that retailers are leaving no stone unturned, pursuing strategies that include delivering personalized care, launching medication therapy management and medication adherence programs, partnering with community and religious leaders, collaborating with health systems, offering free health screenings and addressing transportation and food security issues.
Helping the Vulnerable Lewis Drug, a retail chain with 56 stores across South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, is a forerunner in implementing numerous strategies to address social determinants of health. Bill Ladwig, senior vice president of professional services at Lewis Drug, emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic has made the need to address social determinants of health more visible, especially with the urgent need to get more people in underserved communities vaccinated against COVID-19. To reach that goal, Lewis Drug is working with city, state, county, religious and business leaders, as well as other influencers who can identify patients who are resistant to getting the vaccine and who are most in need of education. “We are going outside of the traditional pharmacy realm. We’re meeting patients’ expectations with new ideas and novel
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More than 825 Health Mart pharmacies in 46 states are participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Mart has trained more than 4,200 pharmacy staff members to administer vaccinations. opportunities,” Ladwig said. “It’s much more efficient to use the assets readily available to you than it is to create something new. Since early on, we have been working with local entities who know where these people are.” Through these alliances, Lewis Drug has vaccinated workers at beef and turkey plants, and dairy sites in South Dakota. The outreach effort also is proving to be a conduit for Lewis Drug’s pharmacists to have conversations on a broad spectrum of potential opportunities, including making
sure patients get other vaccines, like pneumococcal or Tdap, Ladwig said. Combatting vaccine hesitancy in communities that are impacted by social determinants of health also is Walgreens’ bailiwick. Stacey Emmons, Walgreens director of patient outcomes performance, said the retailer is taking a multifaceted approach. “As part of our commitment to drive health equity, we launched vaccine equity initiatives to increase access to vaccinations,” she said. “We provide education that
August 2021 DRUGSTORENEWS.COM
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7/30/21 1:01 PM
