One life lost is one too many—Pharmacists must be part of the solution

Last week, APhA was invited to attend the release of the new National Drug Control Strategy at the White House, led by Sara Carter, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The room was filled with policy leaders, experts, and stakeholders committed to addressing one of the most pressing public health crises of our time: opioid- and other substance-related deaths. But what made this moment deeply moving was hearing directly from parents who have lost loved ones to alcohol or other drug use.

Michael D. Hogue, APhA Executive Vice President and CEO with Sara Carter, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Their stories of these “angels” were heartbreaking. Mothers talked about losing their sons. Siblings described futures cut short. Each story was distinct, but the message was painfully consistent: even one life lost is one too many. When we lose a person to addiction, entire families and communities are impacted. And right now, we are losing far too many of our young people.

APhA was invited to this event in large measure because we’ve been very active in this space for decades. Upon recommendations from pharmacists and student pharmacists to the APhA House of Delegates in the early 1980s, APhA staff members Richard P. Penna and Ronald L. Williams developed the Pharmacy Section at The University of Utah School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies in 1983. After Utah discontinued the larger interprofessional program, APhA launched what is now the APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders in June 2015 and May 27–30, 2026 will mark our 10^th Conference. In addition, APhA members can connect with the Pain, Palliative Care, and Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Community to network with other members passionate about this mission.

Lifesaving strategies

Prevention, early intervention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction are not competing priorities; they are complementary, lifesaving strategies. And pharmacists have a critical role to play across every one of those areas. As the report states: “Just as we do not wait until diabetes is fully established to monitor blood glucose levels, nor do we wait for a heart attack or stroke to screen for hypertension and high cholesterol, we must begin addressing addiction through early identification and intervention."

While the report focuses in large measure on combating illicit drug entry into the United States, it also emphasizes effective primary prevention and treatment of SUD. Pharmacists are critical to this work and are often the first—and sometimes the only—health professionals a patient sees. The strategy specifically calls for improved access to buprenorphine and naltrexone, as well as care models that enable health professionals to work within their scope of practice to improve treatment initiation, continuity of care, and referral.

APhA advocacy

This emphasis aligns closely with APhA’s ongoing advocacy efforts. In July, APhA, in collaboration with the Addiction Treatment & Recovery Congressional Caucus, will host a Capitol Hill briefing highlighting the important role pharmacists play in medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. The briefing will educate Members of Congress and their staff on how pharmacists help reduce barriers to care; improve access to treatment, particularly in underserved communities; and support policy solutions that further integrate pharmacists into SUD care teams.

Making connections to care

Pharmacists as a source of referrals is something our profession has not optimized, yet we should. Leveraging bi-directional, interoperable health care records, pharmacists in local communities can ensure patients who need other professionals in the system can more easily access the help they need. Pharmacists working in emergency departments can be a conduit to ensure community pharmacists caring for the same patient have the information and tools needed to prevent a future overdose. And of course, pharmacists can identify polypharmacy, and work with physicians on appropriate deprescribing and treatment strategies which work for the individual. Beyond obvious medication-related efforts pharmacists engage in, we are also aware of local faith-based and other community resources, including twelve step recovery programs. Team-based care is best when we all lean-in to help our patients make such connections.

APhA has long advocated for the expanded role of pharmacists in addressing SUD, mental health, and public health more broadly. This moment reinforces why that advocacy matters. It also challenges us to step forward with renewed urgency and purpose. There is a growing appreciation that pharmacists are a key component of the solution.

We owe it to the families who shared their stories. We owe it to the young people we are losing. And we owe it to the communities that trust pharmacists as accessible, compassionate health care providers.

One life lost is one too many. And every life saved is a reminder that our work matters.

As pharmacists, student pharmacists, educators, and leaders, let us continue to meet this moment—with compassion, courage, and commitment. APhA will continue to advocate, to partner, and to lead so pharmacists can fully contribute to solutions that save lives.

For all of pharmacy.