Pharmacist Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Learning Objectives:
Describe the role of policy early evidence assessments in public health.
Describe the findings of the early evidence assessment of pharmacists’ patient care services to support the prevention & management of heart disease.
Identify practical strategies that pharmacists can apply to reduce health disparities and promote health equity.
Session Description: Translating scientific knowledge into action is vital to improving the health of the nation and reducing health disparities and inequities. The use of best available evidence from research and practice is needed to inform decision making. Successful adoption and adaptation of evidence-informed pharmacy-based strategies require multi-sector partnerships.
Health disparities among people from racial and ethnic minority groups are largely explained by inequalities in the social, economic, and environmental factors that impact and influence health. Community-based pharmacists are uniquely positioned to understand local social, economic, and cultural dynamics of their communities. This allows pharmacists to address health disparities and advance health equity for persons with chronic disease. By examining interventions that leveraged their skills, expertise, and their positioning within the community, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) identified and conducted an early evidence assessment for five policy interventions that aim to improve patient care through pharmacists' patient care services. Further, DHDSP explored health equity initiatives involving pharmacists to identify and describe implementation considerations.
During this session, presenters will discuss the findings of the early evidence assessment and strategies pharmacists and their partners can use to promote health equity in their communities.
