More than two-thirds of the 328 pharmacists surveyed by healthcare software company CoverMyMeds said they have taken on new job responsibilities since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The top new responsibilities were patient follow-up calls for refills and adherence, a prescription home delivery program and finding ways to help patients save money. One-third of pharmacists also said they began COVID-19 testing at their pharmacy.
More than half of the 1,000 patients surveyed by the company said they asked their pharmacist or providers about cheaper alternatives when prescriptions are too expensive. The task of helping them find more affordable options most often fell on pharmacists, both providers and pharmacists said.
Seventy-two percent of patients said they regularly ask their pharmacist questions about medications. Pharmacists said the questions were most often about medication price, drug information, alternative affordability options and prior authorization status.
Find the full CoverMyMeds report here.
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