Transforming community-based pharmacy practice through financially sustainable centers for health and personal care

Abstract

Objectives: To provide a case for transforming community-based pharmacy practice through financially sustainable centers for health and personal care.

Summary: Macro-level changes in health care laws, markets, technology, organizational systems, and professional education have increased the capacity for pharmacists to competently provide patient care and public health services that surpass the current workflow designs of most community pharmacies. Community-based pharmacy practices have an opportunity to fundamentally transform into financially sustainable centers for health and personal care. This would require changing our objective from connecting products with customers to one that connects practitioners to patients. Rather than inventory generating revenue, patient care generates revenue. Rather than success being measured by number of prescriptions filled, it would be measured by patient outcomes. Physical spaces would no longer be organized to display and sell products; they would be organized for patients to receive services. Finally, this would require that business would change from being sought through the generation of prescriptions to being sought through recruitment of patients.

Conclusion: Community-based pharmacy practice can be transformed through the development of financially sustainable centers for health and personal care that would (1) be focused on optimizing care, (2) use patient care business models, and (3) be conducive to patients "receiving care" rather than "purchasing products."