As experts predict sprawling shortages of physicians in the near future, community pharmacists are well-positioned to care for minor ailments, according to researchers at Pullman-based Washington State University.
In a study comparing the quality and cost of care among pharmacies, primary care sites, urgent care facilities and emergency departments, the median cost of care was $277.78 higher at traditional sites of care compared to pharmacies.
The researchers studied 10 conditions Washington pharmacists are allowed to provide care for: hormonal contraception; asthma; urinary tract infection; allergic rhinitis; headache; shingles; vaginal yeast infection; human, canine or feline bite; burn; swimmer's ear; and anaphylaxis.
If the 84,555 studied patients who sought care at a traditional site of care instead went to a pharmacy, about $23.5 million could have been saved, the study concluded.
Quality of care was measured by an access burden, and the study found no difference in the need for revisited care between pharmacies and traditional sites of care.
"The findings show that pharmacists, especially in the outpatient community setting, are a viable solution to part of our patient access to care problem in our state and country," Julie Akers, PharmD, the study's lead author, said in a May 28 WSU news release. "Pharmacists are trained and qualified to do this work, and unfortunately in many settings, highly underutilized. And they could have a huge impact on how fast patients access care, which can minimize the complexity and the progression of their condition."