Pharmacists have a time-honored role as an integral contributor to the delivery of health care. From the earliest apothecaries to the retail stores of today, community pharmacists have provided guidance about health, wellness and medication therapy. Their expertise ranges from preventive care to the most advanced medications used in the treatment of complex disease.
Despite the significant value of a pharmacist’s knowledge base, perhaps their greatest contribution is being a readily accessible heath care resource for the community. They are there to answer questions from anxious first-time parents. They are there to uncover important clues about the health status of a patient based upon their symptoms and to discern when self-care is appropriate and when it is not. They are there to help patients with a new diagnosis learn the language of that disease and its associated lab tests and medications. And they are there to physically demonstrate how to use inhalers, nebulizers, continuous glucose monitors, injections and numerous other medication delivery devices and then ensure patients can reliably mimic the proper technique.
Unfortunately, news headlines continued to be inundated with announcements of pharmacy closures. CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens combined are in the midst of closing well over 2,000 locations across the country. Thousands more independent pharmacies have closed or are at risk of closure. The term pharmacy desert – defined as the absence of a pharmacy within a 10-mile radius – has entered our lexicon. In fact, research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in August estimated that 46% of all counties in the United States contain a pharmacy desert. The data utilized in this publication pre-dates the pharmacy closures recently announced, so it is likely that the study underestimates today’s reality.
As a pharmacist, I am saddened for our profession and for the communities that are losing access to an important health care resource. As someone who works with employers to improve the health of their workforce, I am concerned about the broader impact this will have on their efforts. All communities, big and small, will continue to have a need for an accessible medication expert. Over time, as therapeutic regimens continue to increase in complexity, this need will only grow.
As a society, it is imperative to ensure that resources are available to provide vital medication education for those in need. Some may point to on-line resources and AI as a solution. While those are certainly important tools that can be used, simply increasing the volume of information patients have available is not a substitute for the interactive dialog and human touch provided by a pharmacist.
I am proud of the work Northwind is doing to increase the reach and impact of our pharmacists and look forward to continued collaboration with others to ensure patients have access to this valuable resource.
