S2 Ep8: Pharmacy Focus: Food as Medicine

This podcast episode discusses addressing social determinants of health through pharmacy practice with guest speaker, Amanda Ryan from the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA). She provides an overview of PQA's third edition Social Determinants of Health Guide and how it can help pharmacists and pharmacies address social determinants of health (SDOH) barriers in their communities. The discussion covers topics like the role of pharmacists in nutrition education and food insecurity screening, as well as strategies for developing comprehensive SDOH programs through collaboration with other health care professionals and community organizations.

About The Guest
Amanda Ryan, PharmD, serves as the Director of Education for the Pharmacy Quality Alliance where she leads the strategic direction of PQA’s educational activities. She is responsible for developing strategies, theme and topic ideation, and creating and managing program content, which is delivered through PQA’s Annual Meeting, Leadership Summit, Quality Forum Webinar series, continuing education programs, and other events.

Links Mentioned
SDOH Guide: https://www.pqaalliance.org/sdoh-resource-guide
March Quality Forum Webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m1xqv0EuSBeZgfJOYlBojw

Key Takeaways
1. Pharmacists can leverage PQA's SDOH Guide to improve medication use quality and address social needs through screening, referrals, and community partnerships.
2. Addressing social determinants of health requires a holistic approach involving training, targeted screening tools, data insights, and cultural competency.
3. Pharmacists play a supportive role in nutrition education by screening for food insecurity and referring patients to assistance programs.
4. Collaboration with other healthcare sectors and community organizations is essential for developing comprehensive strategies to address social determinants of health barriers.
5. Upcoming initiatives from PQA include training resources on SDOH screening and a webinar featuring nutrition/food security interventions from the SDOH Guide.