Pharmacists are part of our essential healthcare workforce. Patients often engage a pharmacist before going to a PCP possibly because they’re more accessible (Gebhart, 2019). A few years ago, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) found that roughly 90 percent of the American people live within five miles of one of NACDS member company stores, making pharmacists the most accessible health care professionals in the country. It seems that patients often engage a pharmacist before going to a PCP, possibly because they’re more accessible. This high level of trust is especially apparent when you look at the role pharmacists play in patient care teams.

Point of Care and Beyond

Pharmacists across the country are being increasingly empowered to act as both administrator and educator of medications, vaccines, and more. Here’s a short list of the ways pharmacists already engage as acritical part of a patient’s care team.

• Medication therapy management – Possibly the most important function overall.
• Management of chronic conditions – This includes care for people living with conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
• Point of care testing – This can include acute infection testing (think flu shots and strep tests), chronic disease screening, and chronic disease monitoring. It allows for the screening and treatment process to be completed during a single encounter, thereby improving access to care, counseling, and patient outcome.
• Limited prescription – Pharmacists must adhere to the legislation and regulations of their geographical region.