S2, Ep 10- A Necessary Way to Expand Access to Health Care and Improve Equity

We are a nation of working, playing, and yes, even getting sick and injured at all hours of the day and night. That’s why it is so vital to have access to quality health care beyond the weekday, 9-to-5 paradigm that our system is set up for. In this episode, we explore a new study that points to the need for pharmacies and pharmacists to play a greater role in expanding access to health care. “Patients in low-income communities, especially seniors living in low-income communities, deserve better access to health care,” says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:38: Listeners’ comment 2:12: A deep dive into a study Robert was part of 2:22: The bottom line: pharmacies can play a valuable role in expanding immunization access and other access to health care 3:01: How low-income patients have a disadvantage in accessing quality health care 3:43: Conner describes trips to the ER as a child during off-hours 3:57: Robert recalls having to take his daughters to the ER for earaches on weekends 4:46: How to improve access to health care 5:50: The fallacy that if you have health insurance, your health care automatically improves 7:42: “Pharmacists, physicians and nurses need to work collaboratively,” says Robert 8:38: We must maximize the health care professional’s skill sets 8:48: Surprise findings in Robert’s study 10:05: Policies need to be implemented to expand pharmacies or pharmacist’s ability to provide more health care services Read to the GHLF study, funded by the American Disease Prevention Coalition, discussed in this episode Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: [email protected] Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: [email protected] We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to [email protected]. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.