Pharmacists are finding new ways to deliver pharmacy services, optimize the use of technology, and improve the safety and quality of dispensing medications. The National Pharmacist Workforce Survey is a national survey that collects information from pharmacists in the US on demographic characteristics, work contributions, and the quality of work-life. Here is a summary of findings from the 2014 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey about changes in pharmacy services.

What are the most common services reported by pharmacists?

The 2014 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey received a response from 1,022 pharmacists about which services were offered at their pharmacy practice site. Pharmacy settings included independent and chain pharmacies, mass merchandisers, supermarket pharmacies, hospital, and other patient care settings. The 2014 survey reported the following results:

1.     Medication therapy management (MTM) (60%)

2.     Immunizations (53%)

3.     Adjusting medication therapy (52%)

4.     Medication reconciliation (45%)

5.     Disease state management (37%)

6.     Ordering lab tests (33%)

7.     Health screening or coaching (29%)

8.     Discharge counseling (28%)

9.     Complex sterile compounding (27%)

10.   Complex non-sterile compounding (26%)

11.   Point of care testing (14%)

12.   Collaborative practice agreement (14%)

What has changed since 2004?

In the  2004 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey, 407 pharmacists reported that the most common services offered were general/simple compounding (84%) and drug information service (65%). Medication therapy management was only reported by 13% of the pharmacists. The requirements of healthcare reform and looking for services that are reimbursable may have caused the increase in MTM. Another significant change was that only 15% of the pharmacist reported offering immunizations in 2004. Health screening or coaching, ordering lab tests, disease state management, medication reconciliation, adjusting medication therapy, and point of care testing were not reported during the 2004 survey.

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