Advancing pharmaceutical practice: Promoting organizational health literacy to improve medication use through an intersectoral model based on the preventive medicine framework

Abstract

Background Health Literacy remains insufficiently developed in many populations, leading to suboptimal health outcomes and increased socio-economic burden. Despite lying at the intersection of educational and healthcare sectors, Health Literacy interventions are hindered by persistent institutional disconnect. Pharmacists, due to their accessibility and expertise in medication use, are well-positioned to bridge this gap and support intersectoral strategies to improve patient outcomes. Objectives This study proposes a pharmacist-led model of Organizational Health Literacy, grounded in current recommendations and identified systemic gaps. Methods A pharmacist-led model was developed through a narrative synthesis of the literature, incorporating current recommendations, conceptual frameworks, and identified gaps in the implementation of Organizational Health Literacy across healthcare and educational systems. The preventive medicine model by Leavell and Clark was adapted to structure the intersectoral approach. Results The proposed model outlines four interconnected domains of pharmaceutical intervention: (1) integration of pharmacists into formal health education settings, (2) systematic assessment and support of patients' Health Literacy during pharmacy encounters, (3) outreach to vulnerable populations excluded from formal education systems, and (4) alignment of medication information with users’ actual Health Literacy levels to support rational medication use. Conclusions This proposed model underscores the transformative potential of pharmacy practice by expanding pharmacists’ roles as health educators and intersectoral communicators. By repositioning pharmacists as connectors between educational and healthcare systems, it offers a strategic framework to address systemic Health Literacy barriers and promote appropriate and informed medication use.