By Jeffrey Woldt
As the NACDS Foundation develops the framework that will guide its work over the three-year period that begins next January, the organization is intent on increasing its already considerable impact on community health. While still a work in progress, the strategic plan will, no doubt, focus on research and educational initiatives that support Americans’ health and well-being.
Ongoing for the past six months, engagement between NACDS Foundation president Sara Roszak, her team and board members promises to produce a plan that finds innovative ways to further the foundation’s overarching mission. “We’ve had one-on-one conversations with every foundation board member, every top donor and other stakeholders,” says Roszak, who is also senior vice president of health and wellness strategy and policy at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. “We conducted two virtual workshops with the foundation board — one focused entirely on research and where we want to go, and the other focused on education and what might come next.”
One result of that process will be an emphasis on the implications of advances in artificial intelligence, automation and technology as they relate to pharmacy and health care. In addition, the foundation is sure to build on the success of the research it has funded over the past decade, such as expanding pharmacy-based testing and treatment services that have proven to be both clinically meaningful and cost effective. Other past research includes improving diabetes outcomes, pharmacogenomics testing in the community, and the role that pharmacy can play in combating opioid use disorder.
“It’s been an interesting journey to see where we started and where we’re going,” Roszak says. “To date, we’ve had over 40 research publications of foundation-sponsored work, and that’s really what drives the impact.
It’s one thing to do a study and gather some findings, but to be able to show that peers have reviewed it and validated the concepts so that others can adopt and scale them in their own communities, that’s how you’re going to make the greatest impact. That’s something we’re really proud of.
“With the strategic plan, we’re thinking through what the next generation of projects will look like and how to dig in, not only in key areas of focus, but also the implementation pieces of that. How do you demonstrate cost-effectiveness and sustainability in the studies, even as you drive towards results that improve patient care?”
Current research includes a study, in collaboration with Tufts University’s Food is Medicine Institute, about how retail pharmacy can drive progress in the Food Is Medicine movement, and a project with the University of Minnesota that aims to drive implementation of a wider range of health care services at community pharmacies by strengthening health plan partnerships. The studies and others like them identify viable pathways for pharmacies to play a bigger role in improving health, and they also help attract the next generation of talent to serve communities at a time when enrollment at pharmacy schools has slowed.
“There’s a lot of interest and excitement around being able to provide care services in communities,” Roszak asserts. “The more we do to make that possible, it will drive interest in this space. There are few areas in health care where you’re so close to those who need care and the community. We need to align education with promising care models — I think proactively providing preventive services and care in communities is what’s really exciting to pharmacy students and emerging leaders.
The contributions of the NACDS Foundation go beyond thought leadership. At the recent NACDS Annual Meeting, the foundation presented awards amounting to $245,000 to help schools of pharmacy support students and focus on innovation. Some 30 pharmacy school deans attended the events, which included a reception marking the 30th anniversary of the foundation’s scholarship program. They also took part in a forum designed to stimulate interaction with pharmacy industry leaders.
“The deans forum, along with the general business programs and receptions during the Annual Meeting, offer good opportunities for deans to get a different view of what pharmacy looks like outside of academia and how the industry is working together for the benefit of patients in the community setting,” says Roszak.
Pharmacy stakeholders will get a chance to facilitate ongoing research, scholarships and the fruitful interaction of industry and academia toward better health for communities by attending the 27th annual NACDS Foundation Dinner. Money raised by the event, which will take place on the evening of August 23, held at the NACDS Total Store Expo in San Diego, funds the foundation’s work throughout the course of the year. A cause worthy of support.•
