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As a pharmacist, you’re a valuable healthcare professional who can make a substantial impact in your community. You’re already committed to keeping patients healthy and on track with their medicine—but your involvement in patient health doesn’t have to stop there. There are so many ways to get your pharmacy involved in your community.
4 ways pharmacists can engage with the community
Tasked with the care of several patients per day, community pharmacists are in an ideal position to educate patients on important health issues. If you’re working as a pharmacist, community engagement can be a fulfilling part of the job. You can start looking for ways to make a difference in your community, whether it be holding general health programs or monthly vaccine clinics.
1. Hold screenings and general health events
One great way to stay involved in your community is to hold regular health events and screenings. You can tell your patients directly or post an announcement for these types of events. Some ideas include checking blood pressure, cholesterol, and bone density. You might choose to hold specific screenings and educational events in certain months, such as blood sugar screenings in November for American Diabetes Month.
You can also hold brown bag events, in which patients or anyone in the community can bring all of their medications to a pharmacist for review. This is a good learning opportunity for pharmacy students and interns, and it is especially useful for older patients or patients who are on multiple medications. Promoting medication therapy management sessions can be a key part of these types of events. You can review any concerns your patients may have about their medications and watch out for potential drug interactions.
2. Raise awareness for immunizations
Immunizations and vaccines can be an optimal way to prevent transmissible diseases and infections. Many Americans struggle to find the time to get their vaccines because of work schedules, or they might not even be aware of the recommended vaccines they should get. You can hold special vaccine clinics during the weekend, for example, to help accommodate these patients. You could also help go over their current vaccine status and make recommendations based on their age or health condition.
3. Have regular community mental health discussions
With the social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people, including children and adults, have had to deal with big life changes. Now more than ever, mental health is an important aspect of overall patient care and is considered a serious health concern by the U.S. Surgeon General.
Community pharmacists can promote mental health awareness through periodic group discussions with patients. For example, you can hold meetings with adults who may be dealing with increased stress or other mental health concerns. Parents of children who may be experiencing mental health issues are also good candidates for these discussions. You can educate patients about mental health problems, available treatment options, and habits or lifestyle changes that can help promote a healthy mindset. You can also invite a mental health provider or counselor to help lead these discussions.
RELATED: Mental health statistics | How to talk to children about mental health
4. Host a tobacco cessation program
Smoking tobacco is one of the risk factors for complications from heart disease. Despite this commonly known health concern, many people find it hard to quit smoking. You can make an impact in your community by running tobacco cessation programs. You can advise patients on the best way to quit smoking, educate them on treatment options, and hold them accountable.
RELATED: Smoking statistics | What happens when you quit smoking?
Other things to keep in mind
If you need support for community engagement, you can reach out to local organizations and healthcare professionals. You can ask nurses and other healthcare specialists to be guest speakers for your events. Local organizations, such as civic groups and cultural event organizers, can be great resources for community engagement.
Schedule and plan your events ahead of time to give enough notice for your patients to participate. You might post a bulletin or have some kind of system to update and notify patients who may be interested.
If costs are a concern, you can work with a financial or tax expert to dive into the specifics. If you work for a large company, you can consult with your manager to determine the feasibility of hosting an event or meeting. In most cases, many companies are happy and willing to take care of the costs and logistics of community health events.
You can get your team and staff on board by holding a poll on what health issues they’re interested in tackling. Since you may be asking your staff to help out on their off days, it’s a good idea to garner some interest first. Some of your team members will be excited to educate or be involved with helping their community improve their health.
