How Pharmacies’ Ability to Provide Behavioral Health Services is Growing | NCPA 2025

The establishment of infrastructure supporting pharmacist administration of behavioral health services can make a significant impact on patients in the community. While behavioral health care, and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH), have taken on new meaning in the public health space, pharmacists’ positioning and access make them a key provider in improving patients’ behavioral health.

“In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, our Medicaid has pushed through an opportunity for pharmacists to get paid for connecting patients with SDOH situations,” Andrew M. Peterson, PharmD, PhD, FCPP, professor at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, told Drug Topics. “Getting the referrals to resources for food insecurity or for housing stability, for transportation, pharmacists can have the opportunity to be able to get paid for making the referrals. We have to educate them about what are those referrals and how to do that and also educate them on that payment for that particular service.”

From serving as community touchpoints and providing referrals, to even screening for behavioral health outcomes, pharmacists are precisely positioned to address patients’ SDOH and are gradually gaining traction to be able to bill for these behavioral health services. In part 2 of our interview with Peterson at the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) 2025 Annual Convention & Expo, he talked all about behavioral health and SDOH, how pharmacists can get involved, and the overarching importance of addressing these prominent, patient-centered challenges.

“It’s growing, but I think the logistical barriers, as well as stigma barriers, are still in people’s way,” he continued.

Learn from a pharmacist and educator as to why these sentiments within patients’ health care can improve outcomes well beyond physical health and truly make patients’ quality of life more manageable—no matter their financial, social, or clinical situations.

Read more of our coverage from NCPA 2025.

Are you ready to elevate your pharmacy practice? Sign up today for our free Drug Topics newsletter and get the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips, straight to your inbox.