CDC makes the case for pharmacists’ reimbursement given expanding roles

The health care disruptions created by the public health emergency have revived interest in identifying opportunities to optimize pharmacists’ roles.

Pharmacies can no longer afford to work without reimbursement—especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, which has meant more responsibilities in the form of testing and vaccinations but fewer employees to share the load.

After conducting a series of hour-long semistructured interviews with pharmacists and chronic disease experts in the summer of 2020, researchers with CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and George Washington University drafted a white paper detailing 21 key findings. They report that community pharmacists can play an important role in delivering chronic disease management services, but only if adequate staffing, technology, and workflow procedures are in place.

Reimbursement is also critical, and there is a need to identify payment models for pharmacist-provided disease management services.

“Successfully demonstrating pharmacists’ value and making the case for reimbursement from payors, as well as optimizing pharmacy workflow, are critical to maximizing pharmacists’ impact in chronic disease prevention and management,” the researchers write.