Pharmacists – a prescription for healthy communities

Pharmacists are among the most trusted members of a patient’s care team and are uniquely positioned to support patients in managing their chronic conditions. Pharmacies are community hubs for health care information. Many patients see their local pharmacist more often than their clinic providers.

Pharmacists in team-based care

Pharmacists can provide many services to patients that coordinate with the care they’re receiving from their health care providers, including:

• Immunization Delivery in Pharmacy Settings
• Comprehensive Medication Management
• Collaborative Drug Therapy Management
• Patient education and counseling services
• Motivational Interviewing (an approach for helping patients discover their own motivations for medication adherence and positive behavior change).

Managing high blood pressure and diabetes

Pharmacists provide support for the patient’s self-management plan. They can help patients correctly follow their prescription instructions, encourage them to measure their own blood pressure and help them understand their numbers, and link patients to other community-based resources.

Managing asthma

Pharmacists can help patients understand how their medications work and how to use inhalers correctly. They can provide information about asthma triggers found in home, school, or work environments. They can help patients understand and use their asthma action plans. They can also play an important role in helping young patients and their caregivers coordinate their medication needs with the health office at their school.

Integrating pharmacists into the care team

Clinic-based patient care teams should feel comfortable reaching out to their patients’ pharmacists, even when those pharmacists are located outside the clinic. Pharmacists are strong community advocates ready to provide shared support for patients working on their chronic disease goals.

Learn more about pharmacists successfully integrating patient-centered medication management into their services.

• Prescription for Healthy Communities: Carrying out successful medication management services in community pharmacies (PDF)

Additional resources

• Partnering with Pharmacists in the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases: A Program Guide for Public Health (PDF) – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
• Million Hearts® Tools and Protocols
• Integrating Medication Management: Lessons Learned from Six Minnesota Health Systems – University of Minnesota's Department of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems