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Article

Choosing Evolution over Extinction: Integrating Direct Patient Care Services and Value-Based Payment Models into the Community-Based Pharmacy Setting

College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pharmacy 2020, 8(3), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030128
Submission received: 25 June 2020 / Revised: 17 July 2020 / Accepted: 22 July 2020 / Published: 24 July 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacist Services Ⅱ)

Abstract

The American healthcare payment model introduced Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) into a position of power that currently puts into question the state of the pharmacy profession, especially in the community field. Reimbursement plans had been designed to benefit all stakeholders and save patients money but have only been shown to increase costs for these involved parties. There exist unresolved gaps in care as a result of the healthcare structure and underutilized skills of trained pharmacists who do not have the federal means to provide clinical services. Four collaborative payment models have been proposed, offering methods to quell the monetary problems that exist and are predicted to continue with the closure of community pharmacies and sustained influence of PBMs. These models may additionally allow the expansion of pharmacy career paths and improve healthcare benefits for patients. With a reflective perspective on the healthcare structure and knowledge of positive impacts with the inclusion of pharmacists, solutions to payment challenges could present a progressive approach to an outdated system. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic highlights a dependency on pharmacists and community settings. This outlook on pharmacists may persist and an established expansion of services could prove beneficial to all healthcare stakeholders.
Keywords: community pharmacy; pharmacy benefit manager; healthcare; healthcare payment model; direct and indirect remuneration; pharmacy services; value-based payment; pharmacist role; COVID-19 community pharmacy; pharmacy benefit manager; healthcare; healthcare payment model; direct and indirect remuneration; pharmacy services; value-based payment; pharmacist role; COVID-19

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MDPI and ACS Style

Mercadante, A.R.; Yokota, M.; Hwang, A.; Hata, M.; Law, A.V. Choosing Evolution over Extinction: Integrating Direct Patient Care Services and Value-Based Payment Models into the Community-Based Pharmacy Setting. Pharmacy 2020, 8, 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030128

AMA Style

Mercadante AR, Yokota M, Hwang A, Hata M, Law AV. Choosing Evolution over Extinction: Integrating Direct Patient Care Services and Value-Based Payment Models into the Community-Based Pharmacy Setting. Pharmacy. 2020; 8(3):128. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030128

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mercadante, Amanda R., Mai Yokota, Angela Hwang, Micah Hata, and Anandi V. Law. 2020. "Choosing Evolution over Extinction: Integrating Direct Patient Care Services and Value-Based Payment Models into the Community-Based Pharmacy Setting" Pharmacy 8, no. 3: 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030128

APA Style

Mercadante, A. R., Yokota, M., Hwang, A., Hata, M., & Law, A. V. (2020). Choosing Evolution over Extinction: Integrating Direct Patient Care Services and Value-Based Payment Models into the Community-Based Pharmacy Setting. Pharmacy, 8(3), 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030128

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