Five for Friday January 16: Celebrating Success in Advancing Medication Use Quality
Welcome to Five For Friday!
The PQA Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Resource Guide Companion provides insights on key characteristics of effective partnerships among pharmacies, other health care organizations and community organizations to address SDOH barriers affecting medication access, use and outcomes.
Released in December, this companion builds on the PQA SDOH Resource Guide, which profiles 40 SDOH services focused on screenings, referrals and interventions to improve medication use quality. We hope the insights provide ideas and inspiration for new and expanded efforts to address SDOH barriers. Learn more about the guide companion below.
We also highlight our members' perspectives on artificial intelligence, pharmacy closures and pharmacists' role in community care. If you have news you'd like for us to spotlight in an upcoming Five For Friday, send us an email!
-- Tammy Malm. PharmD, MPH, BCPS, PQA Director of Education
Artificial intelligence and digital health tools are rapidly changing how Americans seek healthcare information. XiFin's David Pope provides insights into how pharmacies are well-positioned to lead this transition. "By using AI to accelerate eligibility determinations, pharmacies can help patients access medications, services, and products without unnecessary delay."
Exploring Pharmacy Closure Impacts
Pharmacy closures have been found to have an immense impact on communities that reaches far beyond their access to medications, according to a study from the University of Colorado. Researchers found that closures have social and economic consequences that affect the well-being of patients in the community as well as pharmacy staff.
Evolving Role of Pharmacists in Community Care
To better serve patients, pharmacists are expanding their clinical service offerings by providing immunizations, conducting point-of-care testing, offering treatment management and supporting chronic disease monitoring. McKesson's Crystal Lennartz says "these expanded services help strengthen community care by meeting patients where they are, close to home without long wait times or logistical complexities sometimes associated with other care settings."
SDOH Resource Guide Companion 
The newly published PQA Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Resource Guide Companion provides insights on effective partnerships, building on PQA’s work to document SDOH programs that are addressing barriers that impact medication use quality.
From the first-hand perspectives of individuals leading SDOH programs featured in the guide, the companion discusses types of partnerships in SDOH initiatives and the strategic approaches and supporting program attributes that are common.
The strategic approaches documented in the companion that were deemed important to success are: identifying one key SDOH barrier to address, assembling a skilled team, on-site engagement, partnering with a community-based organization and defining measurable success.
PQA welcomes feedback on this guide companion. Feedback or questions can be directed to [email protected].
Your Next Engagement Opportunities
Network, Learn and Collaborate with PQA
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Join us for the 1st Quarter 2026 PQA Member Webinar on Wednesday, January 28, 1-2 p.m. ET. PQA Member Webinars (formerly Stakeholder Advisory Meetings) share current quality measurement and research updates with members. The registration link is available in the Member Resources Library.
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Save the date for PQA's next Quality Forum Webinar on February 12, 2026, 1-2 p.m. ET.
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Save the date to join us at the 2026 PQA Annual Meeting, May 12-14, at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Md. Submissions for poster abstract proposals are due Friday, January 16, 2026. Learn more.