Pharmacies Revolutionize Health Care Delivery Through Expanded Patient Services

Athena Rae Roesler, MPH, and Anna Lin-Schweitzer, MPH, conducted an extensive study exploring the potential for pharmacies to become more comprehensive health care providers. Their research, supported by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, examined how pharmacies can expand their services beyond traditional medication dispensing to address critical health care gaps. By interviewing 32 representatives across the health care ecosystem, including pharmacy organizations, health plans, and policy leaders, they developed a comprehensive report highlighting opportunities for pharmacists to play a more integral role in patient care.

During the Total Pharmacy Solutions Summit Fall 2025, they discussed the results of the research and highlighted how pharmacists are essential care partners who can help address critical health care challenges by providing more accessible, comprehensive, and patient-centered services. By breaking down traditional health care silos and creating more integrated care models, pharmacies can play a transformative role in improving health outcomes and reducing systemic health care costs. The researchers' approach emphasizes that this expansion is not about adding more work to pharmacists' plates but about creating more efficient and holistic care strategies that leverage pharmacists' existing trusted relationships with patients and their deep understanding of medication management.

“Health care is expensive for the system, for providers, and for patients, and it's more than just dollars,” Lin-Schweitzer said. “These costs are showing up in patient stress, time, fragmented care, provider burnout, and more chronic conditions. And mental health continues to be [one] of the most prevalent conditions, with 90% of the nation's $4.5 trillion in annual health care expenditures being related to chronic and mental health.”

Read on for Key Takeaways From Roesler and Lin-Schweitzer’s Presentation:

• The US health care system faces significant pressures, including $4.5 trillion in annual health care expenditures, with 90% related to chronic and mental health conditions. A projected shortage of 70,000 primary care physicians by the next decade creates an urgent need for alternative care delivery models, according to Roesler and Lin-Schweitzer.
• They identified 12 health care service areas currently offered by pharmacies, with chronic disease management being the most prominent. These services range from screenings, such as hemoglobin A_1c and blood pressure, to more comprehensive care interventions. Current reimbursement models include fee-for-service arrangements and partnerships with health plans.
• Further, they highlighted a critical opportunity for pharmacists to incorporate nutrition interventions into patient care. Their June 2024 report, "Catalyzing Action for Pharmacists-Provided Food as Medicine Care," demonstrated how pharmacists can support patient health by integrating nutrition strategies alongside medication management, particularly for conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• Pharmacies can play a crucial role in mental health support, particularly in screening, medication adherence, and referral services. The study explored opportunities in areas like smoking cessation, opioid use disorder support, and expanding access to medications like buprenorphine.
• The research also identified pharmacies as key access points for reproductive health care, especially in rural areas or regions with provider shortages. Potential services include contraception access, sexually transmitted infection screenings, HIV prevention (including preexposure prophylaxis and postexposure prophylaxis), and uncomplicated urinary tract infection treatments.
• Lin-Schweitzer and Roesler revealed significant challenges in scaling pharmacy-based services, including complex credentialing processes, inconsistent billing systems, and varied state-level regulations. Standardizing these processes could help pharmacists more effectively deliver expanded health care services.
• They emphasized 3 high-impact areas for pharmacy expansion—chronic disease management, mental and behavioral health, and routine reproductive and sexual health services—recommending a unified national framework involving pharmacies, health plans, and community health advocates.
• Successful expansion of pharmacy services requires investments in technology that can streamline credentialing, medical billing, and patient care documentation. The goal is to reduce administrative burdens and allow pharmacists to focus more on direct patient care.

“Pharmacies are more than just a place to pick up medications,” Lin-Schweitzer said. “They're accessible, familiar, [and] integrated into daily life, so knowing that pharmacies are already central in patients’ lives...can address some of the biggest pressures in our system.”