Provider Status and Pharmacy

Did you know that pharmacist are the only health profession that doesn’t have provider status? Dentist have provider status. DENTIST! Now, nothing against dentist, they are important to our dental hygiene care, but pharmacist see their patients routinely most patients once a month or more. We are the drug experts that our patients talk to and we do not have the title provider status. What is provider status? Provider status stated by the ASHP Organization is, “pharmacist can participate in Part B of the Medicare program and bill Medicare for services that are allowed under their state scope of practice.”1Now reading that statement might make you think ohhhh they just want more money, but that is not the thing. We as pharmacist are tied to a product, medication. All the income we make and focus on are the drugs during our day to day activates, especially at a community setting including retail chain stores, because that is what makes corporate money. But that would all change with provider status!

Now as pharmacy has evolved pharmacy profession longer just “count pills” anymore. Pharmacy has required more clinical skills needed and the thing is pharmacist now are qualified to have this title! Any pharmacist who came out of school after the 2000’s are required to get your doctorate in pharmacy, certifications and licensing, and recently residencies have been implemented into pharmacy as an extended education as well. We’re qualified for the job. Last year, more than 1.5 million preventable medication adverse effects in the United States occured2. That is insane and something simple as a patient talking to their pharmacist more if they have any questions or need more counseling or even if they are unable to get an appointment with their doctor it is so much easier to drive down to their local pharmacy. Being able to make time for pharmacist to interact with their patients more often, get paid for their time and services, will allow pharmacist to pull away from our main focus to only fill as many prescriptions to meet quota so the store can make money, but to patients health. Physicians I understand are worried if pharmacist get this provider status, but to that I have to say is we are not replacing the physician’s jobs, we are not qualified to diagnosis nor is that in our scope of practice to diagnose. We just want to be the so called “gap fillers” or the “glue” to health care. Pharmacy is so much more than putting pills in a bottle. We have an opportunity to shape our career and how WE as pharmacist/future pharmacist to really grow our profession and fill the gaps in the health care. Post programs for adverse effects are very common in America and if we could change that we could make such a difference in our patient’s health.

I hope you advocate and research more about pharmacy provider status. APhA and ASHP have some amazing reads, facts and information about why we should get provider status and talk about plenty of statistics that will WOW you. Get your class and even your pharmacy school behind this movement. Reach out to your state delegate and senator emailing them, write a letter, make an appointment if can be to show them we need to receive provider status! This upcoming Wednesday I am headed to Washington D.C. to talk about pharmacy issues and provider status being one! Till next time

Xoxo-

Finding Pharmacy