Community Specialty Pharmacies Can Make Patient Journey Easier | Asembia 2025
The role of the community pharmacist is beginning to expand into specialty pharmacy spaces to increase access and outcomes for patients.
The pharmacy landscape has been changing, specifically the scope of practice for pharmacists. Traditionally, pharmacists have been involved in dispensing medication as well as counseling, according to Lisa Thornton, senior director of health and wellness operations for region 42 at Walmart. Community pharmacists’ role have expanded into immunization, test-to-treat in authorized states, and additional services. However, the role is beginning to be expanded into specialty pharmacy spaces.1
The role of the community pharmacist is beginning to expand into specialty pharmacy spaces to increase access and outcomes for patients. | Image Credit: rh2010 - stock.adobe.com
“When we think about specialty patients’ journey, and the pharmacy patients’ journey in general, it's about a holistic health care and thinking about how do we provide them tools that just really help them live their lives easier [and] to make that journey a little bit easier,” Lisa Thornton said.1
In a session at Asembia’s AXS25 Summit, Lisa Thornton, Kevin Barton, senior director of Walmart Health & Wellness Merchandising Strategy, and Kassem Elhelou, market director at Walmart, were joined by Rod Thornton, director of health policy and strategy at Johnson & Johnson, to discuss how the evolving role of community pharmacists is changing the landscape of health care.1
Walmart launched specialty community pharmacies in the HIV space, which was expanded into the autoimmune disease space, as part of the Specialty Pharmacies of the Community initiative. In 2023, the initial HIV pharmacies were launched in Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.2
“When we empower teams in our local facilities to extend their education, to get more tools, to have resources for our patients, such as being able to connect them with a community health care worker to provide additional resources, we can overcome barriers for patients,” Lisa Thornton said.1 “There's a lot of benefits to thinking about how does the patient access specialty care in a way that feels just like their normal journey.”
She stated that pharmacists have been seizing every opportunity to expand the ways they support their communities and their patients through test and treat of strep, COVID-19, or influenza. In Texas, she said some chain community pharmacists have been administering long-acting antipsychotic medications. By expanding the pharmacist’s role this way, the patient is getting easier administration, which can reduce medication abandonment and increase adherence, thus improving outcomes.
Rod Thornton added that access through a community specialty pharmacy can help patients in rural areas, specifically for patients with mental health conditions who might not have access to another provider. Lisa Thornton added that positioning pharmacists as providers and increasing access can build trust with communities, patients, and other stakeholders.1
“I think that builds trust with our communities; that builds trust with other providers as well across the patient’s sort of spectrum of health care team that is indispensable,” Lisa Thornton said.1 “I think that allows us to further enhance the scope of the pharmacist and explore other opportunities.”
For Walmart specifically, Elhelou discussed how the company has contracted health plans and covered services so that their pharmacists are getting paid fairly for their services. Rod Thornton added the pharmacists play a significant role for prescriptions, benefits, and consultations in specialty care. They can teach the patient about their medication, the management of adverse events, and find affordable programs for patients.1
“We have to kind of make things easier in the community pharmacies for our professionals to engage in these services, and then as an organization, we have to continue to support these additional scope of practice as it comes available each day,” Lisa Thornton said.1 “How do we empower professionals? Through the right training, the right systems, the right engagement to be able to provide a great experience as we roll out these services. I'll go even further to say that the specialty patients’ journey is, I think everyone in this room is aware, a very difficult one.”
She emphasized that pharmacists should be focused on the experience their patients want to have. There are many barriers to treatment, so delivery is very important for community pharmacists to increase access for patients. When considering specialty care, holistic care must also be considered. She said it is not just about getting the patient their medication but helping them with their perspective exercise, self-care, and nutrition. With delivery, she said that pharmacists can save their patients time, which the patient can reallocate to exercise or self-care.1
“It's going to take a full army to get all of this right,” Barton said.1 “It's going to take vendors, suppliers, pharmacies, physicians, everyone's going to have to work together . . . we have to work together to remove these barriers, to truly provide access, and the role of the pharmacy is just the most accessible health care provider in the world.”
