Medication-Related Outcomes and Health Equity: Evidence for Pharmaceutical Care

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Social Determinants of Health
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background:

• Marginalized populations experience disparities in pharmaceutical care access.
• These disparities result in worse medication-related outcomes compared to the general population.
• Achieving health equity is a critical global health priority.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore evidence on health inequity and medication use.
• To structure the causes and contributing factors of these inequities.
• To suggest opportunities for advancing pharmaceutical care to achieve health equity.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing evidence on health inequity in pharmaceutical care.
• Analysis of patient- and person-related factors influencing medication use.
• Exploration of systemic factors within personal medication use systems (technology, tasks, tools, environments).

Main Results:

• Patient- and person-related factors are the most frequently reported causes of inequity.
• Limited evidence exists on risk factors related to technology, tasks, tools, and environments in medication use systems.
• Multiple opportunities are identified to improve equity in medication-related outcomes through pharmaceutical care.

Conclusions:

• Meaningful inclusion of marginalized groups, person-centered approaches, and systems-based strategies are crucial for optimizing pharmaceutical care.
• Sustainable implementation requires addressing all interacting components of the medication use system.
• Advancing pharmaceutical care research and practice can enhance health equity.