For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work in or around a pharmacy. My first job was at a pharmacy when I was in high school, and that experience gave me a glimpse of the strong bond between pharmacists and patients. This ultimately led me to pursue a degree in pharmacy. After my practical training, I moved into a business role to apply my skills in a different way. This has allowed me to impact patient care on a larger scale and advocate for my fellow pharmacists, whom I have admired since I was 16 years old. across the business.
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One of the reasons I wanted to become a pharmacist was because I knew how essential pharmacists were to patients’ daily lives. This has never been more true than during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when pharmacists have become the primary providers of COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States. 1 And since then, we have seen the role of pharmacists as trusted community health professionals. 2 Given that 90% of Americans live within 8 miles of a local pharmacy, it is one of the top destinations for people to get their COVID-19 or influenza vaccination. It’s no surprise that it’s one. , shingles, and other preventable diseases. 3
Given their increasing role as community vaccine providers, pharmacists and the pharmacies they support are working to increase vaccination rates, educate patients about available vaccines, and reduce vaccine hesitancy related to vaccine hesitancy. We are in a strong position to address any questions you may have. To do so, pharmacies must fully embrace innovation. Because we know that technology and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions can provide more personalized engagement with patients while increasing the number of hours in a day that pharmacists can get the most out of their license. It’s from.
the right message at the right time
One solution is patient engagement and omnichannel communication. Omnichannel engagement powered by machine learning and AI enables “smart messaging” to ensure patients receive engaging content when it’s most convenient for them, while minimizing opt-outs. We will be able to better inform you about medicines and vaccines to effectively manage your health. Pharmacists can use what they learn from technology and AI-enabled tools to better understand gaps in patient vaccination needs and learn how to engage with patients in ways that resonate with them. For example, if a patient requires an annual flu shot this season but does not respond to numerous text reminders, the pharmacy management system has the ability to alert the pharmacist. You can remind patients one-on-one about the vaccine during their next vaccination. I’ll come pick up my prescription.
Having been in the industry for over 30 years, I’ve seen many challenges and advances when it comes to technology, but it hasn’t been enough for what the industry needs. I truly believe that AI will be a key part of getting us to where we need to be. However, this is only part of the solution.
About the author
BPharm’s Patrick Hawthorne is senior vice president of pharmacy network partnerships for MedAdvisor Solutions.
Matters regarding redemption
The second piece of the puzzle is ensuring that reimbursement models align with pharmacists’ expanding scope of practice and support them in everything from vaccine administration to ultimately testing and treatment. This is done in some testing programs across the country. If pharmacists are not adequately compensated for the additional training required to perform tests, treatments, etc., their incentive to do so is greatly reduced. This is important not only to maintain critical vaccination resources in communities, but also to address broader health resource issues such as primary care provider shortages and rural health deserts.
Pharmacies are increasingly becoming important destinations for healthcare. Much of this is due to the important role pharmacists have played in vaccination education and administration, especially at a time when interest in vaccinations is increasing, especially for COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus. . Pharmacies are best suited to meet this demand.
But you need to have the tools to meet patients wherever they are, including patient engagement and omnichannel communications. We also need to ensure that pharmacists are adequately supported, both in terms of reimbursement and resources, so that they can devote their time to prioritizing patient care. We have made much progress on both of these fronts, but there is still work to be done.
References 1. IQVIA Research Institute. Trends in vaccine administration in the United States. IQVIA. January 13, 2023. Accessed October 8, 2024. https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports-and-publications/reports/trends-in-vaccine-administration-in-the-united -State 2. National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. A 2023 Gallup poll ranked pharmacists third as the most trusted health professionals. National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. March 22, 2024. Accessed October 8, 2024. https://nabp.pharmacy/news/blog/regulatory_news/pharmacists-ranked-third-trusted-medicalprofessionals3. Ash. Pharmacists working on the front lines of caring for patients infected with the new coronavirus. Ash. March 20, 2020. Accessed October 8, 2024. https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/pharmacy-practice/resource-centers/Coronavirus/docs/Pharmacist-frontline-COVID19
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