Pharmacy Care - Your Path to Well-Being

Pharmacists are medication experts who enhance patient care and promote wellness. Their specialized knowledge of medications allows them to prepare and dispense prescriptions, ensure doses are correct, and prevent harmful drug interactions.

AMCP supports recognition and compensation for pharmacists for these direct patient care services. Learn more about how these services can benefit patients, health professionals and payers.
Medication Management

Many health conditions require long-term medication therapy to improve or maintain the patient’s health. Medication management focuses on providing patients with the tools and support they need to ensure they are taking their prescribed medications properly, as often as necessary and at the right time. This is the foundation of a successful disease management program that can help reduce costs, increase outcomes and improve quality of life for those suffering from chronic diseases such as Diabetes, Asthma, Heart Failure, Parkinson’s Disease, Depression or other chronic ailments.

A successful medication management plan starts with a personal medication record (PMR) that includes all prescription medications as well as vitamins, herbal products and over-the-counter medicines. This helps pharmacists spot potential side effects from interacting drugs and identify other health conditions that may not be treated by the medications the patient is currently taking.

The goal is to improve adherence and enhance patient safety by ensuring the correct medications are being used, as often as needed, at the right times and in the best combination for each patient’s unique situation. This can include a medication review, adherence counseling, reminders and other services that are designed to improve the effectiveness of a person’s prescribed medications.

It also means identifying opportunities to de-escalate therapy. This can occur when a patient has a number of existing comorbidities that are preventing them from receiving the full benefit of their treatment and if the risk of complications outweighs the benefits of maintaining a high dose of medication for the treatment of the condition they have.

A good MTM program can also help with other barriers to care that are outside of a pharmacist’s purview such as a lack of financial assistance for expensive medications or difficulty accessing certain medications. A pharmacist can work with health professionals to find solutions such as providing financial incentives for medication adherence or helping a patient find a government-funded patient assistance program that can help. rx pharmacy

Despite the fact that prescription medications are the most common treatment for chronic diseases, it is often the case that these medicines aren’t administered as they should be. There is a strong clinical, humanitarian and economic case for improved medication management that can only be provided by those with the proper training, which is why AMCP supports compensation for these important pharmacy-coordinated care services.
Preventive Care

We all know the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Preventive healthcare is exactly that—preventing diseases and conditions from developing or getting worse. This includes regular check-ups, screening tests and vaccinations to prevent common diseases like the flu or cancer from forming. It also includes lifestyle choices like diet and exercise to maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, and manage stress levels.

As the flu pandemic has shown, a focus on preventive care can greatly reduce the number of people who suffer from serious illnesses. And it can save money in the long run, as treating a severe illness can be very expensive.

The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) is proud to support initiatives that advance preventive care in our society. We believe that preventing disease, disability and death is the most powerful tool we have for improving health and well-being. ACPM is dedicated to supporting efforts that promote and expand preventive care to patients through education, advocacy, resources and more.

Whether you need help with your diet, exercise routine or sleep schedule, we can provide you with the tools to make lasting changes and improve your overall health. We will help you stay on track with your goals and ensure that you’re getting the most benefit from your healthcare plan by assessing your progress regularly.

In the United States, it’s estimated that about 4 out of 5 Americans have access to healthcare coverage. However, many of them do not take full advantage of preventive healthcare services. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 7 out of 10 deaths in the US are attributed to chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes, which can be minimized with preventive healthcare.

Some preventive services are free or significantly reduced by your insurance plan and others require a co-pay. It’s important to understand the difference between these types of care so that you can plan for your appointments and budget accordingly.
Nutritional Counseling

Many patients with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, need assistance with making dietary changes to improve their health. Nutritional counseling can help patients identify areas of weakness in their eating habits, as well as provide guidance on items that should be added to their diet. This branch of counseling can also work closely with psychological services to address underlying concerns, such as depression, anxiety and stress.

Pharmacists are medication experts who enhance patient care and promote wellness. Their specialized knowledge of medicines and their effects allows them to prepare and dispense prescriptions, ensure medications and doses are correct, prevent harmful drug interactions and counsel patients on how to use their medication. They can be found in a variety of health care settings including hospitals and their affiliated outpatient clinics, emergency departments, community pharmacies, physician offices, nursing homes, and managed care organizations.

Clinical pharmacists are also involved in developing medication use systems, which are designed to optimize drug therapy and achieve specific patient-specific outcomes. These systems must be patient centered and collaborative and should be integrated within the framework of healthcare teams. This approach is called pharmaceutical care, or PC, and should be considered an integral part of the practice of pharmacy.

The benefits of PC are demonstrated by the 350 million clinical interventions to individuals that pharmacists provided during the COVID-19 pandemic, averting one million deaths and eight million hospitalizations, and saving $450 billion in health care costs. As the health care system continues to evolve, it is crucial that pharmacists’ roles in promoting wellness and improving quality of life are recognized. This can be achieved by establishing a clear definition of pharmaceutical care, integrating it into the practice of pharmacy and ensuring that the public understands this new role.

In addition, pharmacists are advancing in their ability to deliver innovative and patient-centered clinical services. These diverse clinical services, including medication therapy management, nutrition and telemedicine, are all examples of how pharmacists are addressing the growing need for a holistic approach to care. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to deliver these important services, but will need support from their peers and leadership in order to do so.