By Lari Harding, Senior Vice President, Healthcare Industry Affairs & Strategic Partnerships:
As we mark National Diabetes Month, it’s the perfect time to recognize the crucial role pharmacists play in helping patients manage their diabetes more effectively. From offering services like A1C and glucose testing, medication therapy management (MTM), and nutrition counseling, pharmacists are moving beyond dispensing to act as vital care providers in their communities. This level of patient engagement — pharmacists working directly with patients to support chronic condition management — demonstrates exactly what it means for pharmacists to work “at the top of their license” as essential adjacent care providers to physicians.
With the ongoing shortage of primary care physicians, it’s often challenging for patients to schedule timely doctor appointments. Pharmacists and pharmacies, with their accessibility and increasing range of services, are stepping in to fill these primary care gaps. As pharmacies expand these offerings, evidence continues to mount in support of pharmacist-led diabetes care improving patient outcomes. We’re past the days of debating whether pharmacists have a role in this type of care; the conversation now should center on how to fully integrate pharmacists into care teams through clinical data exchange, reimbursement, and broader policy support.
To make this shift sustainable, however, federal recognition of pharmacists as providers is critical. While some states allow pharmacists to bill for services like MTM and diabetes management, widespread acceptance is still lacking. Federal acknowledgment would enable pharmacists nationwide to receive compensation for these clinical services, providing much-needed financial support to an industry that has been struggling due to insufficient reimbursement rates. This step could help stabilize the pharmacy sector, allowing it to continue delivering essential care to communities and sustaining operations in the face of financial challenges.
Insurance companies, to varying degrees, are already buying into these models, expanding support for pharmacists’ roles in chronic care. But to see this approach flourish everywhere, federal legislation is essential. Advocacy on this front is crucial, as provider status for pharmacists at the national level remains the missing piece to solidifying this model.
Ultimately, diabetes management, smoking cessation, and similar care areas are a natural fit for pharmacists. These services should be available everywhere, not just in select communities. Broadening access to these services is the next step in ensuring every patient receives the comprehensive, timely support they need.