
Is Your Pharmacist Working at the Top of Their License?
Are Pharmacists Our Next-Gen Primary Care Physicians? Pharmacy Automation Can Help Get Them There
January 8, 2021 / Grace Vanier, Director, Product Development Pharmacists are among the top highly skilled and respected professionals in the US. But in retail environments, pharmacists spend the majority of their time counting pills or filing forms. Recent data shows that pharmacists are currently positioned as trusted essential workers, acting as ideal point of care providers, and interacting at least eight times more with patients than a primary care physician (PCP). What if there was a way to give pharmacists more time to focus on the most important part of your retail pharmacy: the patients?Essential Business. Trusted Adviser.
- 64% of Americans rate pharmacists as having high levels of honesty and ethics
- Only 9% say car salespeople have high levels of these virtues

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.

Pharmacists in the Future
At QuickCollect Solutions, powered by Bell and Howell, we believe that pharmacists will become the next generation of PCPs. Maybe someday soon, pharmacies will be work in a fully virtual capacity, using technology to focus on providing increased levels of care. Which is the reason we’re all here. Perhaps, we’ll start seeing more pharmacists in:- Digital telehealth support
- Community engagement activities
- More complex care teams
Want to learn more about Bell and Howell Service Solutions and how we can help your business run more efficiently? Let a service solution expert know.