By Brad Tice, Incoming President-Elect of the American Pharmacists Association
Pharmacy Times, October 19, 2017
The face of health care is rapidly changing as the entire industry evolves to a value-based care model that pays for quality and performance.
What Does That Mean for Pharmacists?
It means that pharmacists can finally move ‘beyond the script’ and get paid for more than dispensing medications through opportunities to get paid for providing total care and support for the patient. All of this necessitates a change in how you operate as a pharmacy and pharmacist.
It has been difficult for pharmacies to establish new, sustainable business models that support the entire practice, but now is the time to make that move by transforming from a prescription-centered practice model to a patient-centered practice models.
Challenges Equal Opportunities
For example, let’s look at some of the potential changes and how they could impact your business and practice:
- Patient-reported outcomes and increased quality measures provide hard evidence that what we do is helping our patients, and offering increased pharmacy revenues by meeting those care requirements.
- Implementation of a new billing structure for medical claims will allow pharmacists
to provide and charge for services beyond dispensing medications, be it preventative care or care around chronic disease, immunizations and flu shots. - Achievement of provider status (getting recognition for the patient care services provided by pharmacists so we can be reimbursed by government programs) is a must, and many states already grant pharmacists that status. As we pursue this initiative nationwide, you’re presented with the opportunity to practice at the top of your license and use your full training and skill in support of patients.
- Increased patient connectivity, which allows for more hands-on interaction with the customer, and the ability to promote and offer other pharmacy services like the aforementioned immunizations.
How Pharmacies Can Start Making These Changes
While this may sound overwhelming, the fact is these changes to your business can and should be made in a step-by-step fashion rather than a complete and immediate overhaul. The time to start is now.
