Full Citation
Title: Assessing the Size and Scope of the Pharmacist Workforce in the U.S.
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2020
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Abstract: Pharmacists are increasingly recognized as crucial members of the health care team. The role of pharmacists varies depending on the setting and state scope-of-practice laws. Despite the growing body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of engaging pharmacists as part of the direct patient care team, many pharmacists primarily dispense medications given the current landscape of job opportunities and restrictions in insurance reimbursement. Not using pharmacists at the top of their license may be a missed opportunity to leverage a workforce to manage disease burden especially among a growing aging population. To date, no single source of information exists that best characterizes the increasingly complex nature of the pharmacist workforce. In this study, we reviewed the literature and conducted interviews with key stakeholders from national pharmacy professional organizations. This study aimed to identify the many different settings where pharmacists work, their current and emerging roles, and the barriers and facilitators to greater involvement of pharmacists in patient care. Key findings include: n There is not a single, agreed upon categorization that captures the full range of pharmacists' roles and functions. n The most frequently mentioned roles for pharmacists identified from the literature and stakeholder interviews included medication dispensing, medication therapy management, chronic disease management, transition of care, and patient education, health promotion, and disease prevention. n There were about 387,000 licensed pharmacists in the U.S. as of October 2019 and 42,710 licensed pharmacists with active specialty certifications as of July 2019. n Pharmacists' engagement in patient care ranges from a consultative role whereby pharmacists fill in gaps in clinicians' knowledge, to the collaborative and integrative roles pharmacists can play in settings such as patient centered medical homes. Improving awareness of the potential roles of pharmacists would help to more effectively incorporate them into the health care team. n Pharmacist scope-of-practice laws and regulations vary by state with most states allowing prescriptive authority. Policy mechanisms such as collaborative practice agreements, statewide protocols, and standing orders further define the services and circumstances under which pharmacists can practice.
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Authors: Pollack, Samantha W; Skillman, Susan M; Frogner, Bianca K
Publisher: University of Washington
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Other
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