Researchers tested a new program where pharmacists screened patients for life challenges that affect their health—like not having enough food or trouble exercising. The study included 50 patients with HIV, arthritis, or high cholesterol at four hospitals in Michigan and Massachusetts. When pharmacists identified these barriers and offered help, most patients accepted the support and found it valuable. Patients who received help showed real health improvements, like better arthritis symptoms and lower cholesterol levels. This suggests that pharmacists can play an important role in addressing the non-medical factors that make it harder for people to stay healthy.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can pharmacists help patients by identifying and solving real-life problems that make it harder to manage their health conditions?
  • Who participated: 50 patients from four hospital systems in Michigan and Massachusetts. The patients had HIV (6 people), rheumatoid arthritis (27 people), or high cholesterol (17 people). All were getting specialty medications from their hospital pharmacies.
  • Key finding: When pharmacists screened patients for life barriers and offered help, 79% of patients accepted the interventions. Of those who got follow-up support, 63% said the help was useful. Patients also showed real health improvements: arthritis symptoms improved by an average of 3 points on a symptom scale, and cholesterol levels dropped by about 30 points.
  • What it means for you: If you’re struggling with health challenges because of life circumstances—like affording food, transportation, or exercise—your pharmacist might be able to help connect you with resources. This approach appears to improve both how patients feel about their care and their actual health numbers. However, this is an early-stage study, so more research is needed before this becomes standard practice everywhere.

The Research Details

Researchers created a new program where pharmacists at four hospital specialty pharmacies screened patients for non-medical barriers to health. These barriers included things like food insecurity (not having enough to eat), trouble affording medications, transportation problems, and difficulty exercising. After identifying these barriers, pharmacists offered targeted help and followed up with patients to see if the interventions worked.

The study ran from September 2023 through September 2024. Patients with three specific conditions—HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, and high cholesterol—were invited to participate. The researchers tracked how many patients accepted help, what types of help were most common, whether patients found the help valuable, and whether their health improved after receiving interventions.

This type of study is called a pilot program, which means it’s a small-scale test to see if an idea works before rolling it out more widely. The researchers collected information from patient medical records and pharmacy management systems to measure outcomes.

Pharmacists are often the healthcare workers patients see most frequently, especially those managing chronic conditions with specialty medications. This study tested whether pharmacists could use that regular contact to identify and address real-life problems that prevent patients from staying healthy. Understanding whether this approach works is important because it could change how pharmacists do their jobs and potentially improve patient health in a cost-effective way.

This is a small pilot study with 50 patients across four locations, which is a good starting point but limits how much we can generalize the findings to all patients. The study only looked at three specific health conditions, so results may not apply to other diseases. The researchers did track actual health improvements (like cholesterol and arthritis scores), which strengthens the findings. However, without a comparison group of patients who didn’t receive the program, we can’t be completely sure the improvements were due to the pharmacist interventions versus other factors. The study’s short timeframe (one year) means we don’t know if benefits last longer term.

What the Results Show

Of the 50 patients enrolled, 56% completed the initial screening for life barriers. This is important because it shows that not all patients participated fully, which is common in new programs. Among the 28 patients who completed screening, 79% (22 patients) accepted the interventions pharmacists offered. This high acceptance rate suggests patients saw value in the help being offered.

The most common barriers identified were food insecurity and nutrition problems (affecting 46% of patients) and difficulty with physical activity (affecting 25%). These are practical, everyday challenges that directly impact health. Pharmacists spent an average of 60 minutes per intervention, ranging from 15 to 180 minutes depending on how complex the patient’s situation was.

Of the 19 patients who received follow-up support, 63% reported that the interventions were beneficial. This means about two-thirds of patients who stuck with the program found it helpful. Additionally, four patients needed ongoing support, suggesting that some barriers require continued attention rather than one-time fixes.

Patients showed measurable health improvements. Those with rheumatoid arthritis had their symptom scores improve by an average of 3 points (on a scale where higher numbers mean worse symptoms). Patients with high cholesterol saw their LDL cholesterol drop by an average of about 30 points, which is a meaningful improvement that typically reduces heart disease risk.

The study found that the types of interventions varied widely based on individual patient needs. Food security and nutrition support were the most common, followed by physical activity assistance. This suggests that basic needs like food access are major barriers for patients with chronic diseases. The wide range in time spent (15-180 minutes) shows that some patients needed quick referrals while others required more intensive problem-solving. The fact that only four patients needed ongoing support suggests that many barriers can be addressed with focused, time-limited interventions.

This research builds on growing evidence that non-medical factors significantly impact health outcomes. Previous studies have shown that social determinants like food security, housing, and transportation affect disease management and medication adherence. This study is novel because it specifically tests whether pharmacists—who are accessible and trusted healthcare providers—can effectively address these barriers in a specialty pharmacy setting. The results align with other research showing that when healthcare providers address real-life barriers, patients have better health outcomes.

The study is small with only 50 patients, so results may not apply to all patient populations. The study only included three specific diseases, so we don’t know if the program works equally well for other conditions. There was no control group (patients who didn’t receive the program) for comparison, so we can’t be completely certain the health improvements were caused by the interventions rather than other factors like seasonal changes or other treatments. The study only lasted one year, so we don’t know if benefits continue long-term. Additionally, the study was conducted at four specific health systems in two states, which may have different resources and patient populations than other areas. Finally, the screening completion rate was only 56%, which means we don’t know about barriers in the patients who didn’t complete screening.

The Bottom Line

If you have a chronic condition and receive specialty medications from a hospital pharmacy, ask your pharmacist about screening for barriers that might affect your health—such as food access, transportation, or ability to exercise. The evidence from this study suggests such screening may help you get better support. However, this is still a new approach being tested, so availability varies by location. Work with your healthcare team to identify practical barriers and develop realistic solutions. Moderate confidence: This is promising early evidence, but larger studies are needed before this becomes standard practice everywhere.

This research is most relevant for patients with chronic conditions (especially HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, or high cholesterol) who get specialty medications from hospital pharmacies. It’s also important for pharmacists, hospital administrators, and healthcare policy makers considering how to improve patient care. Patients with other chronic diseases may also benefit, though this hasn’t been tested yet. This is less relevant for patients with acute illnesses or those who don’t use specialty pharmacies.

Based on this study, patients who accepted interventions and completed follow-up saw health improvements within the study period (one year). However, the timeline for seeing benefits likely depends on the specific barrier being addressed. Food security improvements might show health benefits within weeks to months, while physical activity changes might take several months. The study doesn’t provide information about how long benefits last after the initial intervention, so ongoing support may be needed for sustained improvement.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track weekly food security status (rate 1-10 how confident you are that you’ll have enough food) and monthly health metrics relevant to your condition (cholesterol levels, arthritis pain scores, or HIV viral load). This mirrors the barriers and outcomes measured in the study.
  • Use the app to log barriers you’re experiencing (food access, transportation, exercise difficulty) and set one specific, achievable goal each week to address a barrier—such as visiting a food bank, arranging a ride to appointments, or taking a 10-minute walk. Share these goals with your pharmacist during your next visit.
  • Set monthly reminders to review which barriers are still present and which have improved. Track your health metrics (cholesterol, symptom scores) alongside your barrier-related goals to see connections between addressing life challenges and health improvements. Share this data with your pharmacist to adjust the intervention plan as needed.

This research describes a pilot program testing whether pharmacists can help address life barriers affecting health. While results are promising, this is early-stage evidence from a small study. This information is educational and should not replace conversations with your healthcare provider. If you’re struggling with barriers like food insecurity or transportation, discuss these challenges with your doctor or pharmacist—they can help connect you with appropriate resources. Results may vary based on individual circumstances, location, and available resources. Always consult with your healthcare team before making changes to your health management plan.