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My T urn
P h a rm a c is ts : A k e y lin k in th e h e a lth c a re supply c h a in
By Deborah Weinswig_______
In th e U.S., p h a r m a c is ts a re
a cru cial link in th e h e a lth care
su p p ly chain. B eyond d is p e n s ­
in g p r e s c r ip tio n m e d ic a tio n ,
p h arm a cists h av e th e academ ic
tra in in g to c o n d u c t h e a lth an d
w elln ess sc re en in g s a n d to p ro ­
v id e so m e p r e v e n ta tiv e c a re
a s w e ll a s a d v ic e o n h e a lth y
life sty le s. E m p o w e rin g p h a r ­
m a c is ts b y c h a n g in g th e la w s
g o v ern in g th e ir p rac tice w o u ld
e n a b le th e m to ta k e a g r e a te r
role in ta ck lin g th e ch a lle n g e s
a s s o c ia te d w ith a n a g in g soci­
e ty a n d th e prev alen ce of chron­
ic illn e sse s, w h ic h co u ld h a v e
lo n g -reach in g b e n e fits for b o th
g o v ern m e n t a n d society.
In th is article, w e explore th e
ro le of p h a r m a c is ts in h e a lth
care a n d th e o p p o rtu n ities th a t
co uld b e u n le a s h e d if le g al r e ­
s tr ic tio n s o n w h a t s e rv ic e s
p h a rm a c is ts c a n pro v id e w e re
to b e c h anged. Such restrictions
v a ry b y s ta te : In so m e s ta te s ,
p h arm a cists are p ro hibited from
p rescrib in g d ru g s for conditions
th a t do n o t n ecessarily w a rra n t
a p h y s ic ia n 's c o n s u lta tio n ; in
o th e r s ta te s , p h a rm a c is ts a re
n o w allo w ed to p ro v id e vacci­
n atio n sh ots.
W e b eg in w ith th e good n e w s
a b o u t p h a r m a c is ts : T h e y are
highly accessible, th e y se e high
u sa g e rate s, a n d th e y are tr u s t­
e d b y consum ers.
Pharmacists are accessible
T h e U.S. is h o m e to ro u g h ly
o n e p h a rm a c is t for ev ery 1,000
c itiz e n s, m a k in g p h a r m a c is ts
a h ighly ac ce ssib le c h a n n e l for
h e a lth care. In 2014, th e re w e re
m ore th a n 297,000 p h arm a cists
in th e U.S., a n d th a t n u m b e r
is e x p e c te d to g ro w b y 3% b y
2024, ac co rd in g to th e B u reau
of L ab o r S ta tistic s. D a ta from
th e D ru g C h a n n e ls I n s titu t e
in d icate th a t m o st p h a rm a c ists
w o rk a t p h a rm a c ie s lo c a te d in
d ru g sto res, m a ss m erc h an d ise
sto re s a n d su p erm ark ets.
Pharmacies see high usage
F ully 69% of U.S. c o n s u m e rs
v isit a p h a rm a c y a t le a s t once
a m o n th , ac co rd in g to a p ublic
opin io n poll c o n d u c te d b y CVS
H e a lth in F e b r u a r y 2017. Of
th o s e s u rv e y e d , 59% in d ic a t­
e d th a t th e y a s k p h a r m a c is ts
q u e s tio n s “o f t e n ” or “s o m e ­
t im e s ," a n d m o s t o f t h e s e
q u e s tio n s w e r e a b o u t m e d ic a ­
tio n s id e e ffe c ts , t h e c o rre c t
u s e of p re sc rip tio n m e d ica tio n
a n d m e d ica tio n in te ractio n s.
Pharmacists are trusted
P h arm acists are a highly tr u s t­
ed so u rce of h e a lth care advice.
M ore th a n a q u a rte r of co n su m ­
ers polled b y CVS in d icated th a t
th e y h a d m a d e or c h a n g e d a
h e a lth care decision b a s e d o n a
co n v ersation w ith a p harm acist.
In fact, th e influence of p h a rm a ­
c is ts ' a d v ic e r e g a rd in g h e a lth
a n d w e lln e ss is grow ing, w hile
Chain Drug Review/April 24, 2 0 1 7
U.S. Pharmacists Employed by Dispensing Channel
2%
13% 1
15%
70%
Deborah Weinswig, Fung
Global Retail & Technology
v id e o th e r h e a lth ca re serv ices
* C h a in a n d I n d e p e n d e n t D r u g s to r e s ■ M a s s M e r c h a n ts w it h P h a rm a c ie s m S u p e r m a r k e ts w it h P h a rm a c ie s * M a il P h a rm a c ie s co u ld h e lp a d d r e s s th e h e a lth
ca re sh o rtfall a n d e a s e th e b u r­
S o u rc e : D r u g C h a n n e ls In s titu te
d e n o n e x is tin g p rim a ry c a re
providers.
• A n a g in g p o p u la tio n a n d a
Pharmacy Visit Frequency & Information Requested g ro w in g n u m b e r of chronically
ill p a tie n ts drive u p h e a lth care
V is it a P h a rm a cy a t Least O n ce a M o n th 69% c o s ts — W hile th e n u m b e r of
p rim a ry c a re p ro v id e rs is d e ­
clining, th e n u m b e r of th o s e in
A sk P h a rm a c is ts Q u e s tio n s " O fte n " o r " S o m e tim e s " 59%
n e e d of p rim a ry c a re is o n th e
rise, c re a tin g a sig n ific an t g a p
b e tw e e n s u p p ly a n d d e m a n d
an d , so, d riv in g u p c o s ts. A c­
C o n s u lt P h a rm a c is ts o n M e d ic a tio n S ide E ffects 73%
co rd in g to p ro jec tio n s from th e
U n ite d N atio n s, p e o p le a g e 65
a n d o ld er in th e U.S. w ill g ro w
C o n s u lt P h a rm a cists o n P ro p e r Use o f P re s c rip tio n M e d ic a tio n 72%
from r e p r e s e n tin g 15% of th e
to ta l p o p u la tio n in 2015 to 21%
in 2030.
C o n s u lt P h a rm a cists o n M e d ic a tio n In te ra c tio n s 70% T h e g r o w t h of t h e a g in g
p o p u la tio n is p rin cip ally b e in g
d riv e n b y p e o p le living longer,
Source: CVS
so th e p o p u la tio n of th o s e a g e
75 a n d older, or “older seniors, ”
w ill g ro w e v e n fa s te r th a n th e
Sources With the Most Influence on Health t o ta l s e n io r p o p u la tio n . A n d
& Wellness Actions Taken by Consumers th a t m e a n s a s u b sta n tia lly h ig h
n u m b e r of se n io rs liv in g w ith
h e a lth im p ed im en ts. Som e 36%
62% of A m eric an s a g e 65 a n d over,
or a p p ro x im a te ly 15.5 m illion
p eo p le, r e p o r te d e x p e rie n c in g
so m e k ind of d isab ility in 2014,
a c c o rd in g to th e la t e s t a v a il­
ab le A m erican C om m u n ity Sur­
v ey c o n d u c te d b y th e U.S. C e n ­
su s B ureau.
B u t it is n o t ju s t se n io r c o n ­
su m e rs m ak in g d em an d s on th e
h e a lth c a re s y s te m . Y o u n g er
p eo p le w ith chronic conditions,
su ch as th o se w ith d ia b etes, are
ad d in g p re ssu re , too. T h e C e n ­
te rs for D isease C ontrol a n d P re­
v en tio n (CDC) in d ic ated th a t, as
of 2012 ( la te s t av a ila b le d ata),
Base: 2,320 Internet users
Source: Aon Hewitt/National Business Group on Health/The Futures Company
a b o u t h alf of all U.S. a d u lts, or
117 m illion p eo p le, h a d o n e or
m ore chronic h e a lth conditions.
th e influence of advice from o th ­ ch a n g in g h e a lth care d em an d s. poll p ro v id e d in s ig h ts o n co n ­ Fully 86% of h e a lth care s p e n d ­
e r so u rce s is declining or g ro w ­ W e h a v e id e n tifie d th r e e k ey su m e r-p h a rm a c ist in te ra c tio n s in g in th e U.S. in 2010 w a s for
in g m o re slow ly, a c c o rd in g to em erg in g tre n d s th a t w ill p r e s ­ th a t s u g g e st p h arm a cists could, p eo p le w ith on e or m ore chronic
re s e a rc h from A on H e w itt a n d s u r e p h a r m a c is ts to c h a n g e in so m e in sta n c e s, b ec o m e p ri­ h e a lth con d itio n s, ac co rd in g to
th e N ational B usiness G roup on h o w th e y deliver services: m ary care providers. M ore th a n th e agency.
H ealth . N e v e rth e le ss, p h a rm a ­ • Loom ing prim ary care sh o rt­ one-th ird of su rv ey resp o n d e n ts A s tu d y le d b y Dr. T im o th y
cists a re still playing catch -u p in fall — A c ritic a l is s u e in th e in d ic a te d th a t th e y ch o o se to Wilt, sta ff p h y sic ia n a t th e M in­
th e influence sta k e s, co m p ared h e a lth c a re s y s te m is th e im ­ go to p h a rm a c ie s for p r e v e n ­ n e a p o lis VA H e a lth C a re S y s­
w ith d o c to rs a n d n u r s e s , a s p en d in g scarcity of prim ary care tiv e h e a lth sc re e n in g s , p h y s i­ te m a n d p ro fe sso r of m e d icin e
sh o w n above. p ro v id e rs. T h e A sso c ia tio n of cals a n d v accinations. A n d fully a t th e U n iv ersity of M in n e so ta
A m erican C olleges a n d U niver­ 70% of re s p o n d e n ts in d ic a te d S chool of M ed icin e, co n firm e d
Empowerment of pharmacists s itie s e s tim a te s th a t th e U.S. th a t th e ir choice w a s b a s e d on th a t p h a rm a c is ts c a n h elp in ef­
P h a rm a c ists a re th e re fo re al­ w ill s e e a s h o r ta g e of 91,000 convenience; m ean w h ile, som e fec tiv ely m a n a g in g th e c a re of
rea d y in a very p ro m in e n t p o si­ ph y sician s b y 2020, split evenly 42% c ite d a c c e s s ib ility a n d p e o p le w ith ch ro n ic a ilm e n ts.
tio n in th e h e a lth c a re e c o sy s­ b e t w e e n p rim a ry c a re p h y s i­ 32% c ite d c o s t a s r e a s o n s for Dr. W ilt's s tu d y of 3 3 , 0 0 0 p a ­
tem . B ut o p p o rtu n itie s rem a in cians a n d specialists. choosing p h arm acies. tie n ts fo u n d t h a t p a t ie n t s re-
to e q u ip th e m to b e t te r m e e t T h e a b o v e - m e n tio n e d CVS E q uipping p h arm a cists to pro- Continued on page 3 8
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