Patients Report Significant Value in Enhanced Pharmacy Services

Nine in 10 patients receiving enhanced services at community pharmacies value their pharmacy offering care beyond dispensing, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.¹ Among the clinical services offered, each one explored in the survey scored at least 4.4 out of 5 for acceptability among patients.

“The US is in the early stages of a worsening physician shortage: the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a deficit of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, with primary care and underserved geographies bearing the heaviest burden,” according to Forbes.² “Into that gap steps a resource the system has largely failed to deploy: roughly 330,000 pharmacists, operating out of approximately 54,000 locations, open 6 days a week, no appointment required, in the neighborhoods where people actually live.”

This convergence of expanding patient needs and primary care shortages underscores the critical role of community-based pharmacy practice. When community pharmacies expand into direct clinical care, patients gain immediate access to essential health support in their local neighborhoods while pharmacy teams create sustainable practice models that extend well beyond traditional prescription dispensing.^2,3

READ MORE: CVS Plans to Split Off Its Retail Pharmacies, Keeping Specialty Operations

High Patient Acceptability and Proven Clinical Impact

The survey evaluating enhanced pharmacy services revealed overwhelming patient satisfaction across diverse offerings. Among the 163 survey respondents across 15 community pharmacies, 88% reported being extremely satisfied with their overall pharmacy care, and 90% agreed that they value services beyond dispensing.¹

Even sensitive harm reduction services like naloxone dispensing and education achieved a 4.8 out of 5 median acceptability score, proving that community pharmacies are trusted environments for comprehensive public health interventions. Furthermore, 63% of patients noted that if their local pharmacy did not exist, they would struggle to access necessary prescription and health care services.

Beyond high patient satisfaction, these extended clinical interventions deliver measurable health outcomes that directly benefit patients and payers alike. In a statewide study involving 89 community pharmacies, pharmacist-provided adherence services for Medicaid members led to significant improvements in medication persistence for diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol management.⁴

Overall, 64% of previously nonadherent members reached the target 80% adherence threshold after receiving structured support. Adherence packaging proved particularly effective, making nonadherent patients taking statins over 4 times more likely to achieve optimal medication adherence.

For community pharmacists, these clinical wins demonstrate how personalized patient engagement directly reduces preventable complications and hospitalizations. Services such as medication synchronization, home delivery, and comprehensive medication reviews allow pharmacists to apply their doctoral-level expertise to solve real-world logistical barriers.^2,4

By addressing social determinants of health and coordinating refill schedules, pharmacy teams elevate their daily practice from routine product fulfillment to high-value clinical care.^1-3

Building Sustainable Integrated Networks for Community Care

To deliver these enhanced services effectively, community pharmacies rely on clinically integrated networks like the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Care Network (PPCN).³

Established in affiliation with CPESN USA, this network unites over 200 pharmacies across 50 counties, creating the shared infrastructure needed to negotiate value-based payer contracts. Between 2017 and 2025, network pharmacists completed nearly 200,000 patient encounters and delivered almost 270,000 reimbursable clinical services using standardized electronic eCare plans.

This network infrastructure helps solve the historical problem where individual pharmacies struggle to secure reimbursement for clinical work. Traditional prescription margins have faced severe pressure, with major retail gross margins dropping significantly despite rising prescription volumes.^2,3

Clinical services offer pharmacy practices higher gross margins and financial stability while maximizing existing community footprint and staffing resources. Strategic partnerships between pharmacy networks, universities, and Medicaid managed care organizations have further accelerated this transition by establishing formal reimbursement models for pharmacist care.^2-4

As state policies evolve, such as Pennsylvania Medicaid allowing pharmacists to enroll directly as recognized health care providers, the future of community pharmacy continues to shift toward clinical integration. These policy advancements validate the vital contributions of community pharmacists in closing patient care gaps and improving public health.^2,3

By combining high patient acceptability with documented clinical efficacy, community pharmacies are proving that expanded clinical services are both essential for patient health and vital for the long-term financial viability of pharmacy practice.^1-3

“Patients reported high acceptability with enhanced patient care services, and the majority were very satisfied with their overall care at CIN pharmacies,” concluded authors of the current study.¹ “Patients indicated that they like and value their pharmacy’s enhanced services, [supporting] further expansion of enhanced services within pharmacies in CINs.”

READ MORE: Total Pharmacy Resource Center

REFERENCES

1. Herbert SMC, DeMarse LL, Walker K, et al. Patient acceptability of and satisfaction with enhanced patient care services within a clinically integrated network of community pharmacies. JAPhA. October 7, 2026:103545. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2026.103545

2. Joseph S. The doctor shortage is getting worse. Your pharmacist can help. Forbes. May 13, 2026. Accessed November 4, 2026. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethjoseph/2026/05/13/the-doctor-shortage-is-getting-worse-your-pharmacist-can-help/

3. McGivney MS, Hake K, Salvati S, et al. Development of a clinically integrated pharmacy network: Pennsylvania pharmacists care network. JAPhA. October 7, 2026:103544. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2026.103544

4. New study finds community pharmacist services improve medication adherence for Pa. Medicaid members. Highmark. News Release. August 25, 2026. Accessed November 4, 2026. https://www.highmark.com/newsroom/press-releases/new-study-finds-community-pharmacist-services-improve-medication-adherence-for-pa-medicaid-members