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ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) has expanded the PQA Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Resource Guide. The second edition of this guide profiles 32 SDOH services, including 12 new services and updates to nine initiatives from the first edition. Created by the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA), the guide focuses on SDOH screenings, referrals and interventions conducted by or involving pharmacists or pharmacies.
The guide covers services that address at least one of seven SDOH barriers:
- Cost of Medications
- Cultural or Literacy Barriers
- Decent, Safe and Affordable Housing
- Food Security
- Screening for Unmet Needs
- Social Isolation
- Transportation
This edition also includes pharmacy-based, or pharmacy-involved SDOH services launched or expanded in response to COVID-19 and are being continued post-pandemic.
“Healthcare practitioners have taken a variety of approaches to address SDOH factors impacting the communities they serve,” PQA Education Director Amanda Ryan, PharmD, BCGP, CPHQ, said. “We are pleased to profile a wider variety of services in the second edition of the guide.”
The first edition of the guide, released in January 2021, was leveraged by a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-funded PQA project to identify patient-centered outcomes research priorities for improving SDOH screenings and interventions in pharmacy settings. The guide was instrumental in identifying real-world interventions and screenings that have addressed SDOH, specifically programs that are not described in peer-reviewed journals and other grey literature.
“PQA has established health equity as a strategic priority and is committed to playing an important role in addressing SDOH,” PQA Chief Executive Officer Micah Cost, PharmD, MS, CAE, said. “PQA members continue to develop innovative solutions across the continuum of care to deliver better outcomes for patients related to SDOH. The second edition of PQA’s guide amplifies many of the best practices and meaningful solutions which are helping to address health disparities and promote health equity.”
Access the resource guide here. PQA welcomes feedback on the guide and suggestions on SDOH services which can be highlighted in future editions. Feedback can be provided to PQA by email at Education@PQAalliance.org. Interventions or services can be recommended for inclusion in the guide through a form on PQA’s website.
This activity was supported by an independent medical education grant from Merck & Co.
