For many older adults, the community pharmacy is the most consistent point of contact in the health care system. While primary care visits may occur only a few times a year, pharmacy interactions happen monthly and often more frequently. These regular touchpoints create a powerful opportunity to address what traditional care models often miss: the emotional, social, and practical challenges that unfold between appointments.
At Avant Pharmacy and Wellness Center, community pharmacy has evolved into a true partner in behavioral health care. By working closely with primary care providers, behavioral health professionals, and community support services, Avant demonstrates what is possible when pharmacy is integrated into whole-person care for older adults, often through consistent, relationship-based phone outreach.
Importantly, this model does not replace existing pharmacy operations. It is designed to be layered onto current workflows, building on activities pharmacies already perform such as medication reviews, refill coordination, patient outreach, and care coordination.
Care Happens Between the Visits
In the United States, millions of adults over the age of 65 live with depression, anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, or substance use concerns. Loneliness and social isolation have emerged as some of the most powerful social determinants of health for this population, influencing mental health, medication adherence, health care utilization, and overall outcomes.
Yet the dominant care model remains fragmented. Older adults may see a primary care provider for 15 to 30 minutes two to four times per year. In contrast, they manage medications, side effects, financial stress, housing instability, and emotional challenges every day. Community pharmacies sit squarely in this gap.
Avant’s model is built on a simple belief: health does not happen only in exam rooms. It unfolds in homes, finances, routines, and relationships. By embedding Behavioral Health Integration into routine pharmacy workflows, Avant transforms everyday pharmacy encounters and phone calls into meaningful opportunities for support and intervention.
Patient Stories: What Integrated Care Looks Like in Practice
Patient A initially presented with significant anxiety driven by overwhelming financial stress related to insurance coverage and medication costs. Through coordinated Behavioral Health Integration, Avant’s pharmacy insurance advisors identified unnecessary insurance expenses and supported the patient in accessing financial assistance that reduced overall costs. As financial stress eased, anxiety symptoms improved and remained stable.
Patient B entered the program struggling with depressive symptoms, persistent self-doubt, inconsistent work hours, and fear of pursuing a long-held passion. Through regular phone-based check-ins, structured scheduling support, and intentional affirmations, confidence gradually improved and personal goals felt attainable.
Patient C faced destabilizing life events including housing loss and separation from a spouse. A rapid, team-based response involving clinical pharmacists, community health integration staff, and primary care partners resulted in stable housing and enrollment in collaborative care to continue addressing depressive symptoms.
Patient D presented with complex depression, anxiety, and trauma-related symptoms. Psychiatric Collaborative Care revealed underlying PTSD and trauma-related insomnia. Medication recommendations and ongoing pharmacist counseling supported stabilization alongside psychotherapy.
Why Community Pharmacy Changes the Equation
What distinguishes Avant’s model is frequency and trust. Patients often share concerns with the pharmacy team that never surface during short clinical appointments. Pharmacists notice missed refills, changes in tone during phone calls, confusion, frustration, or withdrawal long before issues escalate into crises.
By integrating care navigation, behavioral health monitoring, and medication expertise, the pharmacy becomes a bridge between primary care and daily life. This approach reduces fragmentation, improves adherence, and addresses the emotional and social drivers of health outcomes for older adults.
Community pharmacies are no longer peripheral to behavioral health care. When partnered with primary care and community services, they become essential infrastructure for supporting older adults with complex needs. Avant Pharmacy and Wellness Center offers a living example of what is possible when pharmacy is recognized as a true partner in behavioral health care.
By addressing mental health, loneliness, financial stress, and medication complexity together, community pharmacy strengthens continuity of care and improves outcomes — one phone call and one relationship at a time.
