(1302) How Can the Pharmacy Profession Improve Equity and Access for the Unhoused Population?

Objectives: Homelessness remains a worldwide problem with a significant influence on health outcomes. Many interventions aim to improve existing physical and mental health among the homeless population, but accessibility remains to be a major challenge which limits the impact of established interventions. Studies show that barriers affecting access to care for persons experiencing homelessness include difficulty obtaining medications, discrimination/stigma, and lack of structural and organizational support. Additionally, there is a lack of literature assessing challenges that may arise in providing care to this population from the provider perspective. Identifying barriers from multiple perspectives is necessary for healthcare professionals to provide optimal care for the unhoused population.
986 HOPE is a community outreach program established by the 986 Corporation of Independent Pharmacies. The mission of this program is to close the gap in healthcare for the unhoused population by sending providers to locations where these patients congregate. Providers from 986 HOPE have observed that when free healthcare recommendations or services are offered, patients in this community are sometimes unwilling to participate in the services. More exploration is needed to explain what prevents patients from accessing these services and providers from helping patients make informed healthcare decisions. The objectives of this study are 1) to identify barriers that hinder the unhoused population from accessing healthcare, 2) to identify the challenges that healthcare professionals face when providing care to the unhoused population, and 3) to identify possible strategies to address current challenges.

Methods: This is an implementation science approach designed to identify barriers and challenges from both the unhoused population and the healthcare providers’ perspectives in a real-world setting. The unhoused population served by 986 HOPE will be interviewed with open-ended questions that address potential barriers including unmet basic human need, interpersonal dimensions of access to care, and lack of organizational support. Healthcare providers from 986 HOPE (pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, community health workers, etc.) will also be interviewed to identify any challenges in providing care, such as how to approach or communicate with the unhoused population and their perceptions of working with people in these communities. All interviews will be done by designated investigators who are trained to ensure internal reliability. Interview responses will be documented in written format. A sample size of 10 - 20 patients from the homeless community will be targeted for this qualitative exploration. All providers of 986 HOPE will be approached to participate in this study.
A face and content validation will be conducted to ensure validity of the interview questions. Content analysis will be conducted by 2 investigators to evaluate and categorize responses from the interviews into different themes.

Results: In progress.

Conclusions: In progress.