FDS Chief Clinical Officer Jason Ausili, PharmD, recently appeared as a guest on the Pharmacy Podcast Network. He joined PPN founder Todd Eury for a show entitled, “Innovative Clinical-Based Technology in the Hands of the Pharmacist.”
During the 25-minute podcast, Ausili and Eury discussed how advances in pharmacy technology will factor into the future of the pharmacy industry. They covered topics like advancements in pharmacy technology and the expanding role of pharmacists in patient care. Let’s take a closer look at 3 things they said during the podcast about the current and future state of the pharmacy industry:
“The primary care system is already overwhelmed and overburdened. Why not let some of those clinical services be done at the pharmacy?”
Often, seeing a primary care physician means sitting in overcrowded waiting rooms and waiting weeks — if not months — for an appointment. Pharmacists can ease the burden on physicians by offering clinical care services to their communities. They can cover some of the more routine reasons why a patient would need to visit their doctor, like diagnostic testing or immunizations.
“When care is more collaborative, patient outcomes improve.”
Physicians and pharmacists are all part of a patient’s care team. And when teammates work from the same playbook, they get more wins. According to ecareplaninitiative.com, the Pharmacist eCare Plan allows the different members of a patient’s care team to share patient goals, health concerns, medication lists, lab results, drug therapy issues, and more. In the world of health care, if it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen. With PECP, every member of the patient’s care team has access to the same information and the same care plan.
“Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to be point-of-care testers.”
Nearly 90 percent of Americans live within 5 miles of a pharmacy. This means it is usually more convenient for a patient to see their pharmacist than their physician. So why not use this to the patient’s advantage? Diagnostic tests can be performed in the pharmacy in 15 minutes. Plus, the service provides a revenue boost to community pharmacies.
Listen to the entire podcast below:
With podcasts about career development, politics, and running a privately owned community pharmacy, the Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN) has over 30 different channels with nearly 80,000 listeners accumulated over the last 12 years.
