Bridging Barriers in Health Care Delivery to Push Pharmacy’s Path Forward

At the Total Pharmacy Solutions Summit Fall 2025, Shantel Upshaw Houston, PharmD, interim executive vice president of the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA), delivered a presentation on transforming systemic challenges in pharmacy, focusing on how health care professionals can move from identifying barriers to actively building bridges across professional, cultural, and technological divides. Drawing from her personal journey and professional experience, Upshaw offered an examination of the complex challenges facing pharmacy today while providing actionable strategies for meaningful change.

She shared her own story as a second-generation Jamaican American pharmacist, illustrating how personal experiences shape professional advocacy. Her career path—spanning community pharmacy, consulting, and leadership roles in organizations like the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and NPhA—demonstrated the importance of adaptability and continuous professional development.

Upshaw emphasized that pharmacists are not only health care providers but also practitioners of humanity, challenging professionals to see beyond transactional care and focus on genuine human connection. The presentation ultimately served as a road map for transforming pharmacy from a siloed profession to a dynamic, collaborative health care discipline. By focusing on bridge building rather than barrier maintenance, pharmacists can create more inclusive, effective, and compassionate health care experiences. Upshaw's vision extends beyond immediate professional challenges, presenting a holistic approach to health care that recognizes the interconnected nature of patient care, professional development, and social responsibility.

“Ask yourself: Am I being a light in the darkness? Am I helping people feel seen, heard, [and] supported?” she said. “It starts with empathy, stepping into someone else's shoes, then nonjudgment—understanding that people might make choices for reasons that you would never understand, and that's OK. It's about equity, action, [and] meeting people where they're at instead of where we think they should be.”

Read on for Key Takeaways From Upshaw’s Presentation:

• Upshaw provided a comprehensive overview of the complex challenges facing pharmacy and health care today. She highlighted critical systemic barriers, including pharmacy deserts, student loan burdens, environmental justice issues, and the digital divide, emphasizing that these challenges are systemic failures, not individual shortcomings. By examining social determinants of health, Upshaw illustrated how structural inequities impact patient care, such as food swamps increasing cancer risks and limited recreational facilities in marginalized communities.
• Drawing from her own experience as a second-generation Jamaican American pharmacist, Upshaw shared her career trajectory from entrepreneurial beginnings to leadership roles in organizations like the NCPA and NPhA. Her personal narrative demonstrated how individual experiences can drive broader professional change. She highlighted the NPhA’s mission, including their annual scholarship program supporting emerging pharmacy leaders and their commitment to bridging generational and professional gaps.
• She also introduced a transformative approach to overcoming professional challenges by identifying shared values. Upshaw outlined key connecting principles, including continuous learning, respect, compassion, service, integrity, collaboration, equity, and mentorship. These values were presented as critical tools for connecting across generations, cultures, and professional disciplines, providing a framework for more inclusive health care delivery.
• Upshaw also explored various barriers affecting health care, categorizing them into structural, interpersonal, and workforce challenges. She discussed invisible burdens like mental health, chronic pain, grief, and financial stress that impact both health care providers and patients.
• Recognizing the digital divide, Upshaw discussed innovative approaches to patient engagement. She highlighted the importance of using technology to close communication gaps, combat misinformation, and provide more accessible health care services.

“You can't just be outraged online. You really do have to come off...the computer, get out of your house, put boots on the ground, and really go into your communities and speak up for change to happen,” she said. “Let's choose collaboration over criticism, mentorship over competition, [and] bridge building over barrier keeping. Because when we do, we don't just practice pharmacy, we practice humanity.”