Caring for the people in my community. That’s why I became a pharmacist years ago. I’d bet most pharmacists would say the same thing – it’s about helping patients.
Today, pharmacists – like doctors, nurses and pharmacy technicians—are facing burnout – burdened by administrative tasks, leaving less time for meaningful relationships with their patients.
And burnout is having an impact: 62.9% of U.S. counties had fewer than one primary care provider (PCP) for every 1,500 residents, and 196 had no primary care providers at all, according to the Surescripts 2023 National Progress Report. (link to report in comments)
But there’s more to the story – like how the practice of pharmacy is evolving, clinical care providers are using technology to collaborate and the focus on patient care is returning. (Check out Axios @TinaReed article: https://lnkd.in/etV74Zvw)
Surescripts data also shows that annual growth in PCPs using electronic prescribing averaged just 1.7% from 2019 to 2023, compared to 10% among non-PCPs – like pharmacists, who saw the most growth in 2023, up 28.93%.
A National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) poll indicated that 85% of adults in the U.S. say pharmacists are easy to access and 81% of adults in the U.S. believe it is important for their state to update its policies to ensure that patients permanently have the same access to pharmacy vaccination, testing, and treatment services that were available during COVID-19. (More here: https://lnkd.in/emA9VGxq)
This means a lot – especially for the top 10 counties most impacted by worsening PCP shortages and that have the greatest opportunity for pharmacies to play a greater role that ensures patients have timely access to quality healthcare (according to our report). Those counties, by the way, include: Hudson, NJ, Shelby, AL, Carolina, PR, Morgan, AL, Robeson, NC, Madison, MS, Bradley, TN, Marshall, AL, Sevier, TN & Guaynabo, PR.
We will continue to empower pharmacists and physicians with technology that facilitates collaboration and will cheer on the industry to reduce barriers including payment and policies to ensure healthcare remains accessible for patients -- no matter where they live.
Check out photos from our visit and the rest of the conversation here: https://surescripts.com/insights/moose-pharmacy-community-care-for-the-future