Did you know that the health of people, animals, and the environment are all connected? There’s a global movement called One Health that brings together experts from different fields—like medicine, veterinary care, public health, and environmental science—to solve big health problems that affect us all.

But what does this have to do with pharmacy?

Dr. Meagan Garza, Pharm.D., a pharmacist with experience in community pharmacy, teaching, and working with the natural medicine company Boiron USA, has spent her career exploring that very question. She's passionate about helping others understand how pharmacists can make a difference through the One Health approach.

What is One Health?

One Health is an idea that encourages people from different professions to work together to improve the health of humans, animals, and the environment.¹ Even though the term has only been widely used since the early 2000s, the concept has been around for centuries. Veterinarians have been promoting this idea for a long time, and now more healthcare fields are joining in.²

How Meagan Got Involved

Meagan first learned about One Health while working on a school project about antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—which happens when bacteria and viruses become harder to treat with medicines. She discovered that the way people use medicines, especially how they’re disposed of, can impact the environment and even affect animals.

In pharmacy school, she found ways to connect with the veterinary world. During a rotation at Texas A&M’s Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, she helped teach veterinary students, participated in community pet care clinics, and led discussions about antibiotics. These experiences helped her realize how important pharmacists could be in One Health.

A turning point came when she attended a veterinary conference in 2024. A vet there talked about how hard it was to train staff about antimicrobial resistance. Meagan realized that pharmacists could step in and help, just like they do in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

Why It Matters Now

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how diseases can spread from animals to people (this is called zoonotic transmission). It also highlighted problems in our healthcare system and the need to work together across professions. One Health isn't just a good idea—it’s necessary if we want to handle future health challenges.

Pharmacists are already trusted health professionals. They give vaccines, help patients manage diseases, teach about medicine safety, and respond during emergencies. But many people—pharmacists included—don’t always realize these actions are part of the One Health approach.

What Can Pharmacists Do?

Here are just a few ways pharmacists support One Health:

• Leading efforts to use antibiotics wisely

• Teaching people how to safely dispose of medicine

• Giving vaccines and doing health screenings

• Managing diseases that affect communities

• Helping during disasters

• Talking about how social and environmental factors affect health

Meagan makes it her mission to talk about One Health in everything she does—whether she’s mentoring students, creating lessons, or speaking at conferences.

Looking Ahead

There’s growing support for teaching One Health in pharmacy schools. Programs are teaming up with veterinary, medical, and environmental science departments to run joint projects and case studies. These efforts help future healthcare workers think in bigger, more connected ways.³

Meagan’s work with Boiron USA has also shown her how natural medicines, like homeopathy, can fit into the One Health picture—supporting people, animals, and the environment in a gentler, more holistic way.

Her message is simple: Pharmacy has a place in the One Health movement. It’s time for more people to see it—and join in.

References

1. One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), Adisasmito WB, Almuhairi S, et al. One Health: A new definition for a sustainable and healthy future. PLoS Pathog. 2022;18(6):e1010537. Published 2022 Jun 23. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1010537
2. AVMA. 2008. One Health, A New Professional Imperative. One Health Initiative Task Force: Final Report, July 15, 2008. Available online at http://www.avma.org/onehealth/onehealth_final.pdf.  
3. Interprofessional Education Collaborative. (2023). IPEC Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: Version 3. Washington, DC: Interprofessional Education Collaborative.