Professor Partners With Oxford Pharmacy for Public Health Study

Miller is one of five scholars selected from U.S. schools and colleges of pharmacy for the 2024-25 National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation Faculty Scholars program. She will engage in an 18-month mentorship program to study how drug store delivery personnel can influence and improve community health.

"My research will evaluate the impact of using community pharmacy delivery personnel to administer social needs screenings and collaborate with a cross-trained pharmacy technician – who is known as a community health worker – to drive referrals to community resources," she said.

She will partner with G&M Pharmacy in Oxford for the study.

"We in the pharmacy and health community want to do whatever it takes to make things better for our patients," said Bob Lomenick, owner of G&M Pharmacy and Tyson Drugs Inc.

"Whether it is getting our patients resources to help with transportation to the doctor or to help lower prescription costs, through Lindsey's guidance we are able to work together to do just that."

The 2023 Commonwealth Fund report listed Mississippi as no. 51 in health system performance, and the state ranked poorly in many other health care metrics.

Miller applied to be a NACDS Foundation faculty scholar because she wanted to harness her research skills and provide quality community pharmacy-based, patient-centered research.

"I knew this program would allow me the opportunity to learn from amazing, experienced mentors and thoughtfully craft a meaningful research project from beginning to end," she said.

Meagan A. Brown, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice, had no doubt that Miller would be accepted into the scholars program.

"Her passion, drive and commitment to the advancement of community pharmacy practice has been evident since she was a student here at Ole Miss," said Brown, also director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science.

The ongoing work between pharmacies in Mississippi and the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network, or CPESN, Health Equity program motivated Miller to conduct this research.

"I was inspired by the CPESN initiative to cross-train pharmacy technicians as community health workers and leverage all members of the pharmacy staff to identify and address health disparities in the lives of patients," Miller said.

The project will track how often delivery personnel give social needs screenings and how many of those screenings identify a need for support or lead to help for the patient.

"Fostering the next generation of leaders is key to ensuring future innovations in public health," said Sara Roszak, NACDS Foundation president.

"To date, 50 scholars have participated in this program, and each one has made meaningful contributions to health outcomes and population health."

Miller will share results from her research in July at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy annual meeting in Chicago. She also plans to prepare a manuscript and submit it for publication.

"Knowing how awesome the program is – focusing on developing research skills and connections necessary for faculty in the community pharmacy world – I could not think of a better fit for Lindsey," Brown said.

Top: Lindsey Miller, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice, plans to study how drug store delivery personnel can influence and improve community health as part of her 18-month term as a National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation faculty scholar. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services