Why Every Public Health Campaign Needs a Pharmacist

INTRODUCTION

Pharmacists are among the most accessible and highly trained healthcare professionals, yet remain underutilized in public health [1]. As diagnostic services move into community settings, pharmacists are well positioned to improve care through screening, immunization, and antimicrobial stewardship [1]. Their role increasingly includes health promotion and may expand to social prescribing - though research in that area is still limited [3, 4]. In some countries, pharmacists now prescribe therapeutics and administer vaccines, but such models are not widespread [5]. A strategic, multi-level approach is needed to fully integrate pharmacists into public health systems [2, 6, 7], where they are often overlooked [6].

THE REACH AND TRUST OF PHARMACISTS

Community pharmacies offer significant advantages as a setting for public health activities due to their exceptional accessibility. With extended opening hours, walk-in availability, and convenient neighborhood locations, they reduce barriers such as travel distance and transportation issues - especially critical in underserved or rural areas [8, 9, 11]. Often the first point of contact for healthcare, pharmacists provide essential services like medication dispensing, health consultations, screenings, and immunizations [9]. Their accessibility also enables a high volume of public health interventions.

Beyond accessibility, pharmacists consistently rank among the most trusted professionals. As members of a public trust profession, they play an essential role in healthcare delivery. Their training emphasizes patient-centered care, cultural competence, and health literacy -all of which strengthen their ability to build rapport and deliver equitable care [10, 12, 13]. Pharmacists’ ability to gain patient trust enhances their effectiveness in delivering preventive care and influencing health behaviors.

The frequent use of pharmacy services further strengthens their public health potential. For example, a study expresses how in Scotland alone, about 600,000 people visit community pharmacies daily, and 94% of the population uses them at least once a year [8]. With increasing emphasis on chronic disease management and preventive care, pharmacists’ high patient contact frequency, especially in rural areas, is invaluable [14, 15]. If accessibility and trust are pillars of public health, pharmacists are already standing on both.

THEIR EXPANDING PUBLIC HEALTH ROLES

Pharmacists are increasingly recognized as key players in public health. Their role in vaccine delivery has led to substantial increases in immunization rates, thanks to their accessibility, extended hours, and ability to administer vaccines safely and effectively [16, 17]. Pharmacists also play a major role in vaccine advocacy, education, and inventory management, helping reduce hesitancy and increase vaccine acceptance [18].

Beyond immunizations, pharmacists are medication safety experts. Their training in drug systems and adverse event prevention positions them to lead improvements in safe medication use, especially in collaborative settings with nurses and other providers [19, 20].

In managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions, community pharmacists have demonstrated measurable success, including significant reductions in HbA1c and blood pressure [21, 22]. Their regular patient contact allows for consistent monitoring and intervention across a range of health conditions.

Pharmacists also deliver vital counseling services. Smoking cessation programs in pharmacies consistently improve abstinence rates [3, 23]. Their frontline role in the opioid crisis includes risk screening, patient education on safe opioid use, and intervention for misuse [24, 25]. Additionally, pharmacists offer sexual and reproductive health guidance, reaching underserved and high-risk populations and positioning community pharmacies as accessible hubs for essential services [26].

REAL-WORLD IMPACT

Pharmacists play a vital role in public health emergencies. During COVID-19, Italian community pharmacies partnered with the Ministry of Health to counter misinformation and guide the public [5]. In Japan, people sought COVID-19 advice from pharmacists more than medication help, reflecting their trusted role [5]. Pharmacies often serve as the first point of contact for health concerns and are highly valued by the public [5].

Pharmacists also support long-term public health goals, including diabetes care, immunization, smoking cessation, and disease prevention. After Hurricane Katrina, VA pharmacists helped operate mobile clinics, providing care to over 10,000 displaced individuals [27]. These examples show how pharmacists consistently deliver critical care during both everyday health needs and large-scale crises.

WHAT’S STILL MISSING

Despite growing recognition, pharmacy’s role in public health remains underdefined. Multifaceted strategies and policy reforms are needed to support pharmacists in illness prevention and health promotion [2]. Evidence on how pharmacy services affect health inequalities is limited [3], and future work must explore formalized roles, sustainable funding, and pharmacists’ readiness for expanded responsibilities [4]. Education must evolve to include public health competencies like informatics and epidemiology [6]. To ensure sustainability, pharmacists must be recognized as billable providers, with integrated care models and compensation structures that support collaborative, patient-centered care [9][15]. This is more of a missed opportunity, than failure.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacists aren’t just dispensers - they’re educators, advocates, and first responders in our communities. If public health campaigns want to reach people where they are, they can’t afford to overlook the people already there.

REFERENCES

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2. Warren R, Young L, Carlisle K, Heslop I, Glass B. A systems approach to the perceptions of the integration of public health into pharmacy practice: A qualitative study. Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy. 2023;10(100279):100279-100279. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100279

3. Thomson K, Hillier-Brown F, Walton N, Bilaj M, Bambra C, Todd A. The effects of community pharmacy-delivered public health interventions on population health and health inequalities: A review of reviews. Preventive Medicine. 2019;124:98-109. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.04.003

4. Lindsey L, Hughes S, Lindsey APR author L. Social prescribing in community pharmacy: a systematic review and thematic synthesis. The Pharmaceutical Journal. Published July 21, 2021. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/research/social-prescribing-in-community-pharmacy-a-systematic-review-and-thematic-synthesis-of-existing-evidence

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15. Berenbrok LA, Gabriel N, Coley KC, Hernandez I. Evaluation of Frequency of Encounters With Primary Care Physicians vs Visits to Community Pharmacies Among Medicare Beneficiaries. JAMA Network Open. 2020;3(7):e209132. doi: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.9132

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17. Isenor JE, Edwards NT, Alia TA, et al. Impact of pharmacists as immunizers on vaccination rates: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Vaccine. 2016;34(47):5708-5723. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.08.085

18. Yemeke TT, McMillan S, Marciniak MW, Ozawa S. A systematic review of the role of pharmacists in vaccination services in low-and middle-income countries. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 2020;17(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.03.016

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21. Newman TV, San-Juan-Rodriguez A, Parekh N, et al. Impact of community pharmacist-led interventions in chronic disease management on clinical, utilization, and economic outcomes: An umbrella review. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 2020;16(9):1155-1165. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.12.016

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23. Thomson K, Hillier-Brown F, Walton N, Bilaj M, Bambra C, Todd A. The effects of community pharmacy-delivered public health interventions on population health and health inequalities: A review of reviews. Preventive Medicine. 2019;124:98-109. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.04.003

24. Kosobuski L, O’Donnell C, Koh-Knox Sharp CP, Chen N, Palombi L. The Role of the Pharmacist in Combating the Opioid Crisis: An Update. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation. 2022;Volume 13:127-138. doi: https://doi.org/10.2147/sar.s351096

25. Moberg K. S215 The Economic Impact of Opioid Abuse in the United States The Role of Managed Care Professionals and Pharmacists in Combating Opioid Abuse. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MANAGED CARE ® Supplement. 2018;24(10). Accessed July 22, 2025. https://ajmc.s3.amazonaws.com/_media/_pdf/AJMC_ACE0094_05_2018_Opioids__Article03.pdf

26. Navarrete J, Yuksel N, Schindel TJ, Hughes CA. Sexual and reproductive health services provided by community pharmacists: a scoping review. BMJ Open. 2021;11(7):e047034. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047034

27. Nemire RE, Ward CT, Whalen K, et al. Public health matters: the role of the pharmacist and the academy. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 2010;2(1):2-11. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2009.12.001

    
    

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