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. Although 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, [or] transportation, pharmacists [are] able to get paid for making the referrals. We have to educate them about what those referrals are 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 screening for behavioral health outcomes, pharmacists are 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 discussed behavioral health and SDOH, how pharmacists can get involved, and the overarching need to address 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 how addressing SDOH in patients’ health care can improve outcomes well beyond physical health and enhance patients’ quality of life, regardless of their financial, social, or clinical situations.

Read more of our coverage from NCPA 2025.

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