Tarek Hussein is a clinical pharmacist at Providence Care Hospital, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and a national leader in social prescribing and health equity. On October 13, he will join Wendy Vuyk, Director of Community Health at Kingston Community Health Centres, for a panel discussion exploring how social prescribing is redefining what health means as we age. We spoke with him about the work ahead of the event.

Q: How did you get involved in social prescribing?

A: I started learning about it at the beginning of 2022, when there was buzz about the creation of the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing. As a community pharmacist at the time, serving a high-need area, I initially linked it to what we call "Nonpharms," short for non-pharmacological interventions or treatments. These are evidence-based, drug-free strategies used to prevent, manage, or treat medical and psychological conditions, like cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. But I very quickly realized that's not the case. It's completely non-medical. It's a referral to non-medical services, such as housing, financial support, and food-related services for food insecurity.

Q: Isn't there also a social component, helping people connect?

There are two key concepts to understand: human connection and social prescribing. When individuals feel lonely or socially isolated, they inherently seek connection. However, sometimes overcoming these barriers can be challenging. That's when providing resources or support makes a difference. But if initial efforts don't lead to improvement, more targeted intervention is necessary—this is where social prescribing plays a crucial role.

Take someone who is isolated at home because of mobility issues, with no car and no one to take them out. You tell them there's a nice gathering at the seniors association, but they don't go. You keep digging, and you discover they don't have transportation, or they can't leave home alone because a partner needs their help. Those patients should be interviewed to better understand their needs, and it's usually not just one need. It's two or three together.

Q: How does the referral process actually work?

A: Right now, there's a call for a national referral strategy that includes social referrals. Today, as a pharmacist, I can't refer directly to other professionals. I have to make a recommendation to the family doctor. We're advocating that clinicians at least identify when a patient has social needs that require further investigation and then refer them to a community connector. Kingston Community Health Centres has a social prescribing program. Clinicians, including pharmacists like me, can refer people to a connector, often called a link worker, who meets with patients, uses questionnaires and tools to identify their social needs, and refers them to the appropriate services.

Q: Why does this matter to clinicians?

A: Patients are at the core of our work. If there's something preventing a patient from benefiting from our clinical interventions, whether medication, a procedure, or any other treatment, we must address it. Failing to do so means not only compromising patient outcomes but also wasting time and resources that could be better allocated to other healthcare services.

Q: What does the evidence show?

A: Evidence from the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing (CISP), the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), and the Alliance for Healthier Communities indicates that social prescribing can improve wellbeing while reducing pressure on health services. CISP reports promising Canadian evidence of reduced loneliness, stronger social connectedness, improved mental health, and fewer healthcare visits. Its economic analysis estimates that each dollar invested in social prescribing could generate $4.43 in social value through improved wellbeing and lower healthcare and government costs. NASP’s evaluation of nine English health systems found reductions in primary and emergency care use, including a 42.2% reduction in GP appointments in Tameside and Glossop and up to a 23.6% reduction in emergency-department attendance in Kent. In Ontario, the Alliance for Healthier Communities’ Rx:Community pilot provided nearly 3,300 social prescriptions to more than 1,100 clients across 11 community health centres; participants reported improved mental health, less loneliness, and stronger connection and belonging. Providers also identified social prescribing as helpful for improving client wellbeing and reducing repeat visits.

Q: What do you hope attendees take away from the panel?

A: The most important thing is understanding social prescribing and why it matters. Research proves that 80% of health outcomes come from social needs. That's a fact. And if we keep ignoring that, we keep sending patients back to the conditions that made them sick in the first place.

I'll give you a simple example. Someone living in a mouldy house keeps getting respiratory illnesses. They're on antibiotics, steroids, and inhalers. They keep coming to the ER, and once they feel better, they go back to the same mouldy house. What do you expect will happen? Two weeks later, they're back in the hospital. We cannot keep sending people back to the conditions and places that made them sick in the first place. We need to change that.

Event Details:

How Social Prescribing is Redefining What "Health" Means
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
Grandview Room, Sixth Floor, Delta Hotel Kingston Waterfront, 1 Johnson St, Kingston
$50/person includes a buffet breakfast and a $20 charitable tax receipt

Register Here. 

"Why treat people and send them back to the conditions that made them sick?" Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London and former Chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health.