American Pharmacists Month: How Community Pharmacy Innovation Relies on Expansion, Collaboration

Community pharmacy is at the forefront of patients’ health care because of its unique positioning and access among communities all across the US. However, with many clinical and administrative roadblocks—from difficulties in expanding scope to pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) control—many pharmacies have lost sight of their innate ability to innovate within their clinical offerings.

“One of my personal frustrations with pharmacy these last couple years is not with pharmacy, but we've been so focused on PBMs and the payment model and just surviving that we've lost a lot of chances to innovate,” Steve Moore, PharmD, owner of Condo Pharmacy in Plattsburgh, New York, told Drug Topics. “If you look back through pharmacy, pharmacists have come up with a lot of great stuff. I think if we free pharmacists up, it's only going to help the health care arena and help our patients.”

During American Pharmacists Month, Moore joined Drug Topics to discuss the importance of innovation, collaboration, and so much more within pharmacy practice. From the factors that pharmacists were most known for prior to the 21st century, all the way up to the current industry challenges existing today, Moore believes that industry developments have led to a reprioritization of innovation within pharmacy practice.

Outside of innovation, however, pharmacies continue to experience workforce and burnout challenges, negative outcomes stemming from PBM control, and an inability to expand pharmacists’ scopes in specific states.

“We're not able to do everything that some of our peers [and] colleagues are doing, some of the great work. But we're still working hard,” Moore continued. “We've got a great team here at Condo Pharmacy and we're working with both our state society, CPESN, NCPA to update our scope here in New York, and hopefully lots of great stuff to come soon.”

Learn more about his experience as a pharmacy owner trying to meander a persistently evolving pharmacy landscape, from innovation and collaboration to the expansion of clinical services and creation of additional revenue streams.

Stay tuned for weekly podcast episodes of Over the Counter powered by Drug Topics every Thursday afternoon. Check out our most recent episode with Brad Phillips, PharmD, BCACP, who also helped Drug Topics celebrate American Pharmacists Month through his insights on pharmacy education and the experience incoming pharmacists receive prior to beginning their professional careers.

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