Allied healthcare professionals can work more effectively with pharmacists to support patients in diverse healthcare settings
While many pharmacy tasks might seem transactional, the truth is that pharmacists play a critical role in improving patients’ health and care experience. Integrating pharmaceutical expertise into practices’ daily operations isn’t simply about medication management — it’s a way to deliver a more seamless, patient-centered experience that elevates the standard of care.
For pharmacists and allied healthcare professionals to work together more effectively, fostering mutual understanding, enhancing communication and addressing liability concerns are key.
Pharmacists’ Evolving Role in Patient Care
In the past, local community pharmacists were more likely to know many of the people they served. Because pharmacists were accessible in local drug stores, customers turned to them for many health questions. However, much of that personalized connection was lost once large pharmacy chains bought up private pharmacies.
However, if the vital role of a pharmacist in our healthcare system was lost on some people in recent years, it once again became evident in the pandemic. CVS, Walgreens and some smaller pharmacies were the first to work tirelessly to inoculate the U.S. population with the COVID-19 vaccine.
It was a massive public health initiative that required a significant awareness and education campaign. Every pharmacist involved needed to become an expert quickly in order to support their communities.
Chicago-area pharmacist Melissa Simon PharmD, vice president of pharmacy services at Aperion Care, remembers that period as one of the most intense in her career. As a skilled nursing pharmacist, it was her job to learn everything possible about the vaccine in order to educate staff, families and patients. She joined hours of information sessions and offered educational sessions for colleagues. “My job was to become the vaccine expert to help people overcome any hesitancy they were experiencing,” she says.
Throughout her career, Simon has also hosted medication education sessions and often uncovered issues stemming from polypharmacy — patients seeing multiple providers and receiving conflicting prescriptions.
Efforts like these allow pharmacists to help patients clarify treatment plans, avoid adverse drug interactions and improve medication adherence.
Key Strategies for Effective Collaboration with Pharmacists
Communication, education and collaboration continue to be critical to strengthening professional relationships between pharmacists and allied health professionals. The following are some ways to support these measures and –– ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Prioritize Communication:
Communicating with providers about medication, such as when patients aren’t adhering to regimens or when a prescription isn’t covered by insurance, is key to patient health. Letting providers know about supply chain disruptions or issues is key to practice health.
In a study on improving the communication skills of pharmacy students, researchers recommend the following when working with providers: “Pharmacists’ recommendations should be concise, provide physicians with information they may not know (eg, patient adherence to their regimen or other medications that have been prescribed by other providers), and suggest potential solution(s) to drug therapy problems that had been identified.”
Focus on Education:
Pharmacists play a crucial role in educating both patients and healthcare providers. Allied healthcare professionals can benefit from pharmacists’ insights into new medications, treatment protocols and best practices. Collaborative education sessions with clinical staff help create a more informed, patient-centered care culture.
Educating patients and families is Simon’s favorite part of being a pharmacist. Over the years, she held numerous education sessions and even brown bag nights where everyone brought in questions or examples of medications from home.
For people with complex medical issues, Simon says the role of a pharmacist can be huge. “When I worked for CVS, there were multiple incidences when I could make a difference. For example, one example includes a patient who was struggling to afford his Albuterol. We worked together to get a different kind of coverage so he could easily afford his medication it. The next week, he brought me a cake to celebrate,” she says.
Address Liability Concerns:
Liability protection is a critical consideration in any healthcare collaboration. Pharmacists should work closely with allied healthcare teams to ensure compliance with medication regulations and documentation standards.
Standardized workflows and double-checking medication orders can help minimize errors. Additionally, having a personal medical malpractice policy in addition to an employer’s policy can provide peace of mind and financial protection for all team members.
Both patients and providers are better off when they work closely with pharmacists. “There are many good pharmacists out there with a wealth of knowledge,” says Simon.
CM&F Group provides comprehensive professional liability coverage for pharmacists and consultant pharmacist students.
