Building and Sustaining Strong Partnerships between Pharmacies and Health Departments

NACCHO • This report encourages building public-private partnerships and offers actionable steps for pharmacists and public health professionals to begin laying the foundation of long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships. The health of a community relies on the actions and contributions of both public- and private-sector entities. Strong relationships between pharmacies and state and local health departments can be mutually beneficial and build upon the inherent strengths of each sector. In particular, pharmacies can be a valuable partner with health departments for distributing and dispensing critical medications or vaccines during a public health emergency. Pharmacies offer accessibility to healthcare services, convenient hours, familiarity, and the benefit of daily experience with distribution chains, dispensing, tracking, monitoring, and inventory management.