After a year of administering COVID-19 vaccines, battling medication shortages and experiencing a workforce shortage, hospital pharmacies will face a unique set of challenges and opportunities in 2022. Here, two hospital pharmacy executives share five changes they would like to see in the hospital pharmacy space in 2022.
Responses were provided by Amir Emamifar, PharmD, chief pharmacy officer at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia, and Elie Bahou, PharmD, chief pharmacy officer at Providence in Renton, Wash.
- Independent provider status for clinical pharmacy staff in each state. Dr. Emamifar said this effort will "support the long-standing role of pharmacists in public health." He pointed out that clinical pharmacy staff play an important role in ensuring positive patient outcomes by improving medication management.
- Greater transparency about the pharmacy supply chain. Hospital pharmacies will benefit from federal and state legislation allowing them to have more transparency about drugmakers' manufacturing locations, shortages and production issues, according to Dr. Bahou.
- Greater ability to provide affordable care. Strengthening the 340B program, preventing CMS reimbursement cuts and lessening site-of-care restrictions would help hospital pharmacies provide more affordable care to vulnerable populations, Drs. Emamifar and Bahou said.
- Recognition of the potential for pharmacy innovation. New techniques and startups are poised to increase efficiency and revenue in the areas of specialty medications, gene therapies, formulary management and safe medication use, according to Dr. Emamifar.
- Addressing the pharmacy workforce crisis. Dr. Bahou said making telehealth services inclusive of pharmacists and instating legislation that allows them to practice at the top of their licensure will help the industry meet increased pharmacy demands.