Beyond the prescription: tackling what really drives health
Forget the latest drug launches or even workflow challenges for a moment. Increasingly, the conversations I’m hearing—at healthcare conferences, in pharmacies and even in casual chats—are about something bigger: what’s really driving our patients’ health.
And more importantly, what can pharmacists do about it?
That question was front and centre during a recent Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) webinar, where pharmacist/owners from across the country shared how they are addressing the social determinants of health in practical, meaningful ways. The takeaway was clear: much of what affects patient outcomes happens outside the pharmacy—but that doesn’t mean it’s outside our reach. In fact, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to see what others may miss.
Think about the small but telling moments in daily practice: the patient who delays a refill, the one who seems disengaged, or the person who quietly mentions challenges at home. These aren’t just adherence issues, they’re often signals of deeper barriers—from financial strain to housing instability or social isolation.
Rather than just working around these barriers, some pharmacists are beginning to address them directly through approaches such as social prescribing and structured screening for social needs. This doesn’t mean adding entirely new responsibilities, but rather reframing existing interactions. A medication review, for example, can become an opportunity to uncover and act on underlying issues that may be affecting a patient’s ability to follow a care plan.
Encouragingly, early efforts suggest that patients are open to these conversations. One of our webinar guests was Dr. Tiffany Lee, a pharmacist and Assistant Professor, School of Pharmacy at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who is leading research on the SPARK screening tool designed to help pharmacists systematically identify social needs. She said study results show patients are willing to talk to their pharmacist about their social needs.
In fact, when asked about their broader circumstances, many welcome the opportunity to share and feel better supported as a result. It’s another reminder that pharmacy has always been about more than medications—it’s about care.
Of course, identifying barriers is only part of the equation. Across the country, pharmacists like Tarek Hussein, Solmaz Nafez and Sarah Kuzosko are finding creative ways to connect patients with supports—whether that’s coordinating access to transportation, helping navigate plan coverage, linking to community services or even rethinking how care is delivered to better meet patients where they are. In some cases, pharmacies are evolving into true community hubs, integrating health and social supports under one roof. To hear more about what they are doing in their pharmacies, listen to the free webinar at https://cfpnet.ca/events/pharmacy-forum-webinar-recordings.
What stands out is that these solutions don’t require perfect systems or significant new infrastructure to get started. Often, they begin with awareness—recognizing that behind every “non-adherent” patient is a story and a willingness to ask one more question.
At CFP, we see this as an important area for continued research and innovation. As the profession evolves, understanding how to systematically integrate social determinants into pharmacy practice (and measure the impact) will be key. It’s also an area where collaboration across sectors will be essential.
But perhaps the most important shift is one of mindset.
Addressing social determinants of health isn’t about adding more to an already full plate. It’s about seeing the work we already do through a different lens—and recognizing the role pharmacists can play in improving not just medication use, but overall health outcomes.
Because sometimes, the most effective intervention isn’t another prescription. It’s identifying—and helping remove—the barrier standing in the way.
Linda Prytula is executive director of the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy, Canada’s only national charity dedicated to funding research, innovative practice models and leadership development to advance the profession of pharmacy and improve the health of Canadians.
