Where is pharmacy practice going in the future

On the flip side, patients, like other consumers, want convenience. That means more care at home, at work, and in community locations.

Pharmacists continue to be the most trusted and most accessible health care providers. Patients visit a pharmacy an average of 35 times per year compared with just 4 visits to see medical providers, according to Jennifer Zilka, group vice president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy Field Programs and Services.

New business models play to those 2 strengths. Most systems currently have pharmacists on the floors monitoring interactions, evaluating therapy, adjusting medications, and working with the rest of the health care team to optimize outcomes. Retail pharmacists have an opportunity to play a similar role in the community.

The next 10 years is transforming practice from dispensing a product to providing a flexible, high-touch, personalized service experience with better clinical outcomes. Reimbursement is in flux. Payment from public and private payers is mov- ing toward value-based, but fee-for-service still dominates some sectors, including pharmacy. There is an increasing appetite for the role that pharmacists can play. The evidence is building that pharmacists can contribute to outcomes.

The key to pharmacy success in is focusing on the specialized knowledge and training of pharmacists. Every provider in health care has a niche. Physicians are trained to diagnose, nurses to support, and physical therapists to improve physical function. Pharmacists are the providers trained in medication science. Not understanding the science of drug delivery, activity, and interactions is an important reason so many patients get the wrong drug at the wrong time, said Calvin Knowlton, PhD, founder, chair, and chief executive officer of health care informatics provider Tabula Rasa Healthcare.

This is also 1 reason adverse drug events ADEs have become the third leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer. Pharmacists can change that, pharmacists are being paid to change that. Patients typically fall into 1 of 2 categories, Zilka said.

They need a familiar prescription refilled with no changes, no questions, no complications, and no worries. Looking ahead, we can begin to imagine a pharmacy industry that looks much different than it does today: Treatments would no longer be focused on chemical and biologic solutions, but instead focus on digital therapeutics, nutraceuticals, implants, gene editing, 10 and programmable bacteria accelerated by clinical research.

Retail pharmacies could become consolidated health destinations with product distribution altered by 3D printing, kiosks, telehealth, and same-day delivery by driverless cars, autonomous bots, and drones.

Massive data sets connected by Internet of Things IoT connected devices, cloud-based algorithms, and quantum computing could enable real-time diagnosis and insights that are integrated into our daily lives and shared across care providers. The future consumer experience To really understand our vision of the future of pharmacy, it is important to begin with the consumer and think about how their health care journey changes.

While there are clearly opportunities to continue to make money today, forward-thinking organizations are asking questions such as: Who inside or outside of our ecosystem will be a competitor or disruptor? Who could be an ally? How will risk shift to or away from us, and what will be the impact?

How will our talent strategy and organizational structure support our future business? Do our existing systems and technology support expectations for omnichannel and digital or virtual engagement?

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It provides an opportunity for pharmacists to apply their knowledge of medicine to deliver treatment that is tailored to the specifics of each patient. Advancements in pharmacogenomics can be applied to the patient care model, which can focus on specific individualizing treatment based on specific patient factors. Understanding the use of patient genetic testing and factors may provide health care providers with critical information that can deliver targeted and effective therapy for a specific disease state.

In a survey assessing community pharmacists knowledge and confidence regarding pharmacogenomics, a large percentage responded that they were not confident in their knowledge and recommendations regarding the human genome.

With pharmacy and pharmacogenomics being a dynamic and ever-expanding field, perhaps in the future there will be a large call for pharmacists specializing in extensive knowledge of pharmacogenomics. The Human Genome Project: Assessing confidence in knowledge and training requirements for community pharmacists. Am J Pharm Educ. A Glimpse into the Future of Pharmacy. July 30, Pricing Drug pricing is a highly debated topic at every level of discussion.

Technology The use of technology can be greatly beneficial to all, including both patients and providers. Personalized Medicine Personalized medicine is a unique field revolving around the world of pharmacy.