Community Pharmacy Produce Prescriptions

NCT ID: NCT06920355

Last Updated: 2025-04-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 610 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-04-30
• Study Completion Date: 2026-06-30

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to generate evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of community pharmacies as the implementers of a produce prescription program for adults with diabetes and/or hypertension. The main question this study plans to answer is if using community pharmacies as a point-of-service for improving nutrition and health is feasible and effective. The trial also explores the impact of the program on food security, nutrition security, diet quality and health and patient centered outcomes.

Participants will be enrolled in a produce prescription program to purchase healthy foods at the grocery store where they are currently receiving their pharmacy services. Participants will be asked to attend pharmacy visits to collect biometrics at two different time points and complete electronic surveys at three different time points.

Detailed Description

Produce prescription programs are an increasingly common Food is Medicine (FIM) intervention, with over 100 programs launched in US healthcare systems over the past decade. Mounting evidence from these programs suggests health-related benefits, including reductions in household food insecurity, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and improvements in clinical outcomes such as diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, and body mass index.

Pharmacies routinely engage in vital screening and referral services, including monitoring blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and administering vaccinations, among other patient care services. However, the community pharmacy setting has remained a largely underutilized and understudied platform for advancing FIM. Historically, FIM interventions have been designed and delivered through hospitals, medical clinics, or community non-profit organizations. The next phase of FIM efforts involves expanding screening and referral for such programs to community pharmacies, including those affiliated or co-located with grocery stores. Community Pharmacy Produce Prescriptions study intervention will be delivered via a Produce Prescription (PRx) electronic benefit card. Each month, participants will receive a fixed amount of funds on the PRx card to purchase fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, nut butters, seeds, plant-based oils, seafood, and yogurts from participating grocery stores. These funds will be provided after the initial baseline in-person visit is completed. The card will be reloaded monthly for a period of 6 months.

Conditions

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2; Hypertension

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Produce Prescription Group

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Produce Prescription

Intervention Type: OTHER

Each month, participants will receive a fixed amount of funds on the PRx card. Participants will be able to use these funds to purchase fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, nut butters, seeds, plant-based oils, seafood, and yogurts from participating grocery stores. These funds will be provided through an electronic PRx benefit card that is activated after the initial baseline in-person visit is completed. The card will be reloaded monthly for a period of 6 months.

Nutrition Education

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participating pharmacies/grocery chains will have Registered Dietitians (RD/RDN) on staff who can provide participants with nutrition education programs, coaching, and/or nudges.

Interventions

Produce Prescription

Each month, participants will receive a fixed amount of funds on the PRx card. Participants will be able to use these funds to purchase fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, nut butters, seeds, plant-based oils, seafood, and yogurts from participating grocery stores. These funds will be provided through an electronic PRx benefit card that is activated after the initial baseline in-person visit is completed. The card will be reloaded monthly for a period of 6 months.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Nutrition Education

Participating pharmacies/grocery chains will have Registered Dietitians (RD/RDN) on staff who can provide participants with nutrition education programs, coaching, and/or nudges.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Produce Rx

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
• Age 18 years or older
• Presence of one or more of the following conditions: type 2 diabetes or hypertension. (Type 2 diabetes and hypertension will be defined by the combination of a self-reported physician diagnosis of one of the conditions and at least one pharmacy prescription for one of the conditions.)
• Able to converse, and complete the research surveys in English or Spanish, based on self-report.
• Positive screening for food or nutrition insecurity by:

1. Hunger Vital Sign™ screening and,

2. Nutrition Security Screener

Exclusion Criteria

• Unable to provide informed consent.
• Unable to read and write.
• Self-reported serious medical conditions that may be expected to shorten life expectancy to less than one year
• A condition that limits participant's ability to grocery shop or choose food for themselves
• Plans to move to a new home in the next 6 months that would require use of a different pharmacy
• Currently pregnant or pregnancy planned within the next 6 months
• Currently using or planning to start an insulin pump or other automated insulin delivery device within the next 6 months
• Currently on a GLP-1 agonist or planning to start a GLP-1 agonist within the next 6 months
• Currently receiving or planning to receive within the next 6 months another Food is Medicine program, like PRx, Grocery Rx, or Medically Tailored Meals

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Association of Chain Drug Stores

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Tufts University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Dariush Mozaffarian

Director, Food is Medicine Institute

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University

Central Contacts

Mary K Cohen, MS, RD

Role: CONTACT

mary_kathryn.cohen@tufts.edu

6176363942

Patricia R Sheehan, RN, MPH, MS

Role: CONTACT

Patricia_Ryan.Sheehan@tufts.edu

Related Links

https://tuftsfoodismedicine.org/project/nacds/

Study Information Website

https://sites.tufts.edu/cp3study/

Eligibility Website

Other Identifiers

STUDY00005176

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id