Act for the Future of Community Pharmacy.

Community pharmacies serve as a vital gateway to primary care and public health, offering face-to-face pharmacist expert care to assure safe and effective medication use. However, they are disappearing at an alarming rate, with 20-30% of all community pharmacy locations projected to close within the next year. The objective of this commentary is to highlight the critical need for systemic reforms and collective action within our profession to address the unique challenges faced by community pharmacies, ensuring their sustainability and continued role in providing essential healthcare services for patients.

Examining the case for direct contracting: A multistakeholder case study.

Background: Employers and pharmacies are challenged by a complex system for prescription payment. Cost plus direct contracts for prescriptions and bundled services may yield benefits.

Objectives: This study aimed to (1) explore direct contracting using multistakeholder interviews, (2) compare employer costs and employee copays for 6 months of prescription charges under their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) with projected costs under a pharmacy direct contract, (3) project pharmacy revenue, costs, and net profit had these prescriptions been processed through the direct contract, and (4) assess employee satisfaction under the direct contract.

Scaling Community Pharmacy Transformation with the 'Flip the Pharmacy' Implementation Model: Program Origins.

The rising costs of healthcare, increased chronic illnesses, and healthcare provider burnout has led to an environment desperate for scalable solutions to ease practice burdens. With a projected shortage in the number of primary healthcare providers available to provide team-based care, community-based pharmacy practitioners are accessible and eager to assist. In order to provide enhanced patient care services to aid their clinician colleagues, community-based pharmacists will have to transform their practices to support the provision of enhanced services and medication optimization in value-based payment models.

Use of a fall risk evaluation in a community-based pharmacy.

Background: Falls in older adults are a serious public health concern. They increase health care expenditure and account for more than $30 billion in direct medical costs. Medication-related problems can contribute to fall risk, and community-based pharmacists are well positioned to intervene, given their role in monitoring ongoing medications.

Retrospective analysis of drug therapy problems identified with a telephonic appointment-based model of medication synchronization.

Objectives: To describe the drug therapy problems (DTPs) identified for patients enrolled in an Appointment Based Model (ABM) for medication synchronization, describe the pharmacist-delivered clinical interventions, and assess what patient characteristics are associated with the number of DTPs identified.

Methods: A cross-sectional chart review of 1 month of pharmacist notes for telephone ABM encounters at one independent community pharmacy in the Midwest U.S.

Development of a medication therapy management superbill for ambulatory care/community pharmacy practice.

Objectives: To explain the purpose of superbills, suggest strategies for incorporating superbills into pharmacy practice, and propose a model superbill for consideration by practitioners.

Practice Description: Ambulatory pharmacies in the United States.

Practice Innovation: Superbills have been used by physicians and other health care providers for many years as a way of efficiently communicating to the office staff, the patient, and even the insurer the types of services that have been provided at the point of care.

Improving communication skills of pharmacy students through effective precepting.

Pharmacy students should be given opportunities to learn and practice interpersonal communication skills during their community advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). Preceptors have the responsibility of setting the stage for the pharmacy students during their initial encounter. During this orientation to the site, students should become familiar with the history of the practice, the types of services provided, and the staff members.

An evaluation of managing and educating patients on the risk of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Objective: To assess the impact of risk management activities on patient risk of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Methods: Ninety-six adult patients taking chronic glucocorticoid therapy in 15 community pharmacies. Patients in the control group received usual and customary care.