Assistant Professor The University of Tennessee, United States
Objective : The objective of this project is to describe the development and implementation of a semester-long project that applies the knowledge of the social determinants of health (SDOH) to the development and delivery of pharmacy services in the community setting.
Methods: The SDOH and Community Engagement Project was modeled after the BUILD (Bold Upstream Integrated Local Data Driven) Health Challenge (a funding collaborative and award program) and was re-imagined for second-year PharmD students enrolled in a Community Pharmacy Elective course. Throughout the semester, students in groups of 4-6 were tasked to identify a community pharmacy in an underserved area, complete a community needs assessment and interview the pharmacy team. After gathering information about the community’s needs and the pharmacy’s resources, the groups determined a local community organization for the pharmacy to partner with. They then developed and presented a customized proposal for a feasible upstream collaboration that addresses at least one social risk factor. The groups must present their proposal to the class and to the pharmacy partner at the end of the course. Proposals’ depth, clarity and feasibility were assessed by the course director.
Results: From 2021-2023, a total of 10 proposals were developed and presented. Novel collaborative partnerships included a local high school, regional opioid prevention services, rideshare partners, food trucks, and more. The most common social risk factor addressed through this project was transportation (n = 6, 60%).
Conclusions: The SDOH and Community Engagement Project is an innovative way to develop structural competency for students interested in practicing in community pharmacy. This activity was effective at inspiring innovation and entrepreneurial thinking about the social determinants of health as it pertains to community pharmacy.
