The trend: Consumers trust pharmacists to take on more direct patient care responsibilities and deliver health guidance.
Digging into data: Findings from two recent surveys—one from Kilo Health and one from Wolters Kluwer—show how consumers want pharmacists to play a bigger role in their care journeys.
The new-era pharmacist: Pharmacists’ authority to prescribe medications, administer vaccines, and conduct tests has historically varied from state to state. But the pandemic ignited an “all-hands-on-deck” situation in which pharmacists took on many more patient-facing responsibilities.
Plus, CVS and Walgreens both took steps to empower pharmacists to practice at the top of their licenses during the pandemic.
Why it matters: More frequent touchpoints between patients and pharmacists triggered higher levels of trust.
Our take: Pharmacists are becoming a go-to healthcare source for consumers, from older patients who regularly take medications to younger generations who may not have a dedicated primary care physician. Expect to see savvy pharma brands that have relied on reaching consumers via physicians to run more marketing campaigns through local pharmacies.
This article originally appeared in Insider Intelligence's Digital Health Briefing—a daily recap of top stories reshaping the healthcare industry. Subscribe to have more hard-hitting takeaways delivered to your inbox daily.