Opportunities for pharmacists to impact student health on college campuses

Abstract

Literature regarding college student health has documented inadequate education and treatment of certain conditions such as mental health, preventive care, and sexual and reproductive health services. While some health services are available for students on campus, evidence suggests many at‐risk students do not utilize these services. Pharmacists are well‐suited to provide these services to college students, although there is a paucity of published data on the impact and outcomes of pharmacist intervention(s). This paper establishes the need for health interventions in college students, describes evidence supporting the role of a pharmacist on college campuses, and explores opportunities for pharmacists to address these unmet needs. A PubMed search was conducted for studies on college student health and services involving pharmacists using search terms encompassing college students and health‐related keywords. Studies written in English were considered and references from searched studies were manually reviewed for inclusion. When available, studies regarding pharmacist‐specific interventions on college health issues were included. Pharmacists can play a critical role in the treatment and management of psychiatric illnesses on college campuses. Data supporting psychiatric pharmacist recommendations are available. Further, pharmacists have shown interest and patient acceptance when providing sexual and reproductive services, including pharmacist‐provided prescription contraceptive products and preventive health services. Pharmacists can also influence preventive care practices on college campuses through health education including opioid use disorder, preventing overdose, and providing immunizations. While data demonstrate the positive impact pharmacists have on college students related to mental health, preventive health, and sexual health and reproductive services, available evidence is somewhat limited. However, ample opportunities exist to expand this impact. To more clearly and consistently demonstrate their impact on the college student population, pharmacists providing these services should be strongly encouraged to publish their work.