Hartwell Georgia Health Insurance

Pharmacists gain wider role in health care | Georgia Health News

As demand for health care grows, pharmacists are providing services that stretch the historical boundaries of their profession.

The era of pharmacists simply dispensing pills into child-safe bottles is over. Now they’re just as likely to be found administering preventive vaccines against everything from influenza to shingles, or having detailed discussions with customers about how to use prescription or over-the-counter drugs safely and effectively.

“Our customers know we’re accessible,” said Andi Sandford, a pharmacist at Hartwell Drugs in Hartwell, Ga. “They know they’re not just another number.”

Small towns such as Hartwell aren’t the only places that pharmacists’ roles are expanding,  according to Mitch Rothholz, chief of staff of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). The trend is nationwide, he says.

Immunization, medication management, cholesterol screening, patient monitoring and helping detect patterns of disease are some of the ways pharmacists are contributing to better community health, experts say.

Both independent and chain pharmacies now collaborate with physicians and health departments to bring education about prevention and self-care, among other services, to more people.

Access, proximity and extended hours put pharmacists in an excellent position to improve public health , says Rothholz.

More than 90 percent of Americans live within five miles of a community pharmacy. Such facilities far outnumber hospitals and clinics. And availability is important for vulnerable populations with limited access to health services.

“Hundreds of people come in here a week,” says John Moorhead, a pharmacist and owner of Economy Drug Store in Hartwell. “We’re in a good position to reach the public.”

Convenience and personalized care are the major selling point.

Patients prefer coming to a pharmacy for services “because it keeps them out of a waiting room,” says Moorhead.

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