Maternal Health Awareness Day: Improving Maternal Health Through Preventative, Pharmacist-Led Care

In the women’s health space, health care professionals are increasingly addressing systemic barriers such as maternity care deserts and the rising tide of medical misinformation. Expanding the pharmacist’s role into clinical services offers a vital pathway to closing these historically persistent gaps.

“We really need to be working with individuals before or between their pregnancies to help them be in their optimal health, such that when they become pregnant, they have a better outcome,” said Natalie DiPietro Mager, PharmD, PhD, professor of pharmacy practice at Ohio Northern University and host of the Scripted for Her podcast powered by Drug Topics. “I definitely think this pre-conception or inter-conception health space is often overlooked. That's actually going to be the key to improving pregnancy outcomes.”

To celebrate Maternal Health Awareness Day, recognized annually by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on January 23, we caught up with Mager to revisit some of the continuous health care gaps in women’s health and how pharmacists continue to champion for better access, better care, and ultimately better outcomes among women in their communities.

Get expert insights from Mager, who’s seen the development of women’s health services in real time throughout her career. Also, learn more about the progress US health care systems have made in the women’s health space, what is still needed to be done, as well as the ways in which pharmacists are making a difference across the country.

“We need to be really vigilant that we continue to promote preventative care and help [women] understand truly the benefits and risks of these different interventions,” she concluded.

READ MORE: Women’s Health Resource Center

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