Integrating trauma-informed care into ambulatory settings: A practical approach

Outpatient pharmacy settings, such as ambulatory care clinics, serve patients by addressing their medical needs and providing longitudinal pharmacy health care services within their communities. In the United States, approximately 83% of people have experienced a traumatic event in their lifetime, and these exposures can significantly impact their long-term health outcomes. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach to health care that recognizes and responds to the impact of trauma on individuals in ways that promote healing and recovery and avoid re-traumatization.

This article aims to guide ambulatory care pharmacists on implementing trauma-informed care (TIC) to improve patient outcomes.

This guidance includes how to recognize signs and symptoms of trauma, navigate trauma disclosures, build trust with survivors through trauma-informed communication, and report abuse in a pharmacy ambulatory care setting, highlighting the crucial role of pharmacists in this process.

Trauma-informed practices and care in ambulatory settings are not just important but essential due to the ongoing nature of care and the management of chronic health conditions in patients who have experienced trauma, underscoring the significance of pharmacists' roles in patient care. Although the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has outlined TIC approaches, there is a gap in training within the Doctor of Pharmacy program and a lack of published literature on using TIC in specific settings.

The effective use of TIC in ambulatory care settings can significantly improve patient care and, ultimately, patient health outcomes, making pharmacists an integral part of the health care process.