CVS released its "Rx Report: A New Day in Retail Pharmacy," which highlighted consumer preference and demand for expanded roles for pharmacists.
The report captured the attitudes of consumers nationwide and explored how technology can enable pharmacists to do more purpose-driven, patient-centered work, according to an Oct. 25 news release from CVS Health.
"Consumers have become accustomed to receiving expanded care at their local pharmacies, and it's imperative that lawmakers and regulators take action to ensure continued access to critical services," Prem Shah, PharmD, executive vice president at CVS Health and president and chief pharmacy officer at CVS Pharmacy, said in the release. "To continue evolving the role of the pharmacist and the industry, we must first make retail pharmacy a better and preferred place to stay and grow a career. This will require innovative approaches that challenge long-standing ways of working and create important capacity for patient care and new pharmacist services."
The report found the following:
- Consumers trust their local pharmacist/pharmacy team, and 74 percent agree pharmacists should provide healthcare services when primary care is unavailable.
- Sixty-nine percent of consumers believe pharmacist services should be covered by insurance like other provider services.
- Sixty-one percent of consumers would like to be able to get a greater range of health services from their local pharmacy.