Embedded Pharmacists in Primary Care II

Dear Colleagues,

Given the projected shortage of primary care providers (PCPs), the explosion of high-cost specialty pharmaceuticals, future use of pharmacogenomics in precision medicine, and value-based reimbursements, the addition of a pharmacist to most physician practices will be financially prudent, if not essential. Having pharmacists embedded in primary care is not revolutionary—rather, it is evolutionary.

The work environments and expectations for primary care physicians’ daily activities include spending a significant amount of time related to chronic care management, including the management of complex medication regimens. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 2020 Report projects shortfalls in primary care ranging between 21,400 and 55,200 physicians by 2033 in the United States.

Ergo, a future should be envisioned where pharmacists are embedded in primary care settings, as primary care pharmacist practitioners (PCPPs). The benefits of such providers include enhanced medication adherence, fewer drug-related adverse events, reduced inappropriate healthcare utilization (e.g., emergency room visits, hospitalizations, office visits), improved clinical outcomes, total reduced cost of care (assessing pharmaceuticals as part of this), greater patient satisfaction, and higher CMS star ratings.

Appropriately leveraging the role of the pharmacist in primary care settings, in order to achieve better health outcomes in all patients and achieve not only the Triple but the Quadruple Aim, is a valuable proposition worthy of exploration by all members of the healthcare team not only in the United States, but worldwide.

We look forward to manuscript submissions that embody this spirit and desire to articulate and demonstrate the value of embedding pharmacists in primary care practice settings.

Prof. Dr. George E. MacKinnon III
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmacy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• pharmacist–physician collaboration
• comprehensive medication management
• chronic care management
• team-based primary care
• primary care workforce
• improving care transitions