麻豆学生精品版's Food Pharmacies Remove Barriers to Healthy Eating
麻豆学生精品版's Food Pharmacies Remove Barriers to Healthy Eating
In every corner of our world, research indicates that a poor diet is a leading contributor to diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers that can cause death. In the United States, estimates put the number of deaths linked to unhealthy eating at 600,000 a year.
One prescription for reducing these numbers and addressing food insecurity is food pharmacies. In 2022, 麻豆学生精品版 established a mobile Food Pharmacy program to help patients prevent and manage diet-related conditions like hypertension and obesity. A food pharmacy program provides access to nutritious food for individuals who have difficulty accessing it due to food insecurity, meaning a person or family cannot consistently get enough food for a healthy life.
鈥淚t's important for me to be able to refer patients to the Food Pharmacy,鈥 said Chandler Wilson, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist at U of U Health. 鈥淥ne, because a lot of my patients come from very low socioeconomic status and have limited access to fresh food. Additionally, I see a lot of type 2 diabetes cases, so having access to fresh food to help manage those patients鈥 blood sugars is very important.鈥
Wilson was introduced to the Food Pharmacy program at Redwood Health Center two years ago. Once onboard with the service, Wilson learned how to identify patients who could benefit from the pharmacy program.
鈥淭he Food Pharmacy is much different from sending patients to a food bank because of the fresh food aspect,鈥 Wilson said. 鈥淎 lot of our patients are trying to control their blood sugars, so packaged and processed foods, which are available at the food banks, aren't usually the best options for them.鈥
Patients like Kristen Canton describe the program as life-changing. 鈥淲ith the help of my health coach and access to more fruits, vegetables, and fresh foods, I was able to lose 10 more pounds. That was unexpected. It has helped me to keep my edema and gastrointestinal issues under control. It has just impacted every corner of my life for the better.鈥
When Canton, a mother and grandmother who loves to cook, first discovered the Food Pharmacy program, she was dealing with difficult health issues and food insecurity.
鈥淭he cost of food was draining our budget like it has for many other people, and so you suffer sometimes from food insecurity,鈥 Canton said. 鈥淚 thought this program could kind of kill two birds with one stone. It could help with my health issues and help to alleviate some of the stress in our food budget.鈥
The coaching that pharmacy patients receive provides lessons and support in addressing both the critical issues of health and cost. These services are especially important at a time when underserved communities are threatened with the loss of access to government programs.
Access to a program like the Food Pharmacy has given Wilson a new sense of fulfillment in her career as a pharmacist. 鈥淏eing able to give this service to somebody is incomparable,鈥 she said. 鈥淲atching them leave the clinic with a bag full of food, even if it's only going to last them a few days, those are days where they have one less stressor. They're already living very stressful lives.鈥
鈥淭he Food Pharmacy program is so vital in this world today,鈥 Canton says. 鈥淚t provides a safe place for people who may be suffering from food insecurity and are too embarrassed to ask or don't know where to look to get the food help they need. This program offers them a resource. There has been no judgment, no feeling of shame because you have food insecurity. They are wonderful people.鈥
Student employees and volunteers also benefit from working with patients like Canton and the populations served by the Food Pharmacy. Working one on one with patients like those who visit the Food Pharmacy provides students with life lessons they could never read about in a textbook. Isaac Ou was interested in studying nutrition when he discovered the Food Pharmacy program.
鈥淚 knew that I needed experience working with patients from a variety of backgrounds in a nutrition-related setting,鈥 Ou said. 鈥淚 saw that there was a little bit of a disconnect between mental health conditions and nutrition counseling. So, I decided to become a dietitian to help bridge that gap. Students are the future of health care, and it's really important that they get opportunities like this at the Food Pharmacy in order to learn how to work with people of different backgrounds, cultures, religions, etc.鈥 Ou is now in the Master of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics Program at UC Berkeley.
Patients stress that this lifeline to better health and financial stability should grow to reach even more community members.
鈥淭he fact that the Food Pharmacy is here has been wonderful,鈥 Canton said. 鈥淲ithout this, I don't know what we would do. We wouldn't be able to buy the produce and vegetables and fruits that I am able to get now. We probably wouldn't be eating as well. My health wouldn't be as good as it is. The Food Pharmacy is a program that needs to be expanded so everybody knows about this incredible service.鈥
The Food Pharmacy is housed in a mobile trailer equipped with food service-grade equipment. It rotates between U of U Health鈥檚 Redwood Health Center and Greenwood Health Center. There is also a Food Pharmacy embedded in the Rose Park Primary Care Clinic. This program is a collaboration between the Osher Center for Integrative Health and the Driving Out Diabetes Initiative.
