Pharmacy Undergoing "Renaissance," NACDS Reports

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) recently published a new resource outlining the value of neighborhood pharmacies in today’s evolving health care environment.

Designed to “help tell pharmacy’s story,” the 15-page document synthesizes the message NACDS and other pharmacy advocates have reiterated to all those with a stake in the success of US health care system: as the face of neighborhood health care, pharmacies are essential to improving patient outcomes, increasing the quality of care, and reducing costs.

Practicing pharmacists will appreciate the guide, entitled “Pharmacies: Improving Health, Reducing Costs,” for its high-level perspective on the state of the industry today. For those outside pharmacy’s ranks, the guide also neatly summarizes new developments in health care that indicate greater need for pharmacists’ expertise, as well as the history and definition of key services, such as medication therapy management (MTM).

Citing recent public opinion polls by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Gallup, it confirms pharmacists as the most trusted and accessible health care professionals. It also highlights the latest research on the astronomical costs of poor medication adherence and chronic disease, as reported by high-profile journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association. Above all, the resource provides a glimpse of the organization’s vision for the future of pharmacy, which is heavily focused on the advent of pharmacist-provided MTM services.

Recognizing MTM as a potential solution to many of the nation’s most pressing health care crises, NACDS officials will continue to press Congress for “pro-patient” legislation that includes a larger role for pharmacists. More than ever, in this age of “pharmacy renaissance,” NACDS believes pharmacists are prepared to fulfill and exceed the requirements of that role.

The complete guide is available here.