Pharmacists and COVID-19: We Need a Stronger Voice!

Reading the pharmacy literature, pharmacists have played a mixed role in the COVID-19 response. Major roles include medication expert responsibilities and ordering and administration of COVID-19 tests. In addition, as an immunizer, they will be expected to play a pivotal role in the vaccination process once a vaccine becomes available. Although pharmacists’ roles have expanded, some state laws that regulate health care professionals, such as pharmacists, are not consistent and may limit the pharmacist’s scope of practice. Based upon this premise, I decided to read information from national pharmacy organizations surrounding COVID-19 to understand the global role pharmacists have had during the pandemic. Much of the information centered around how our pharmacy organizations have boasted about their role in promoting pharmacist’s during the pandemic including phrases such as “support pharmacists”, “work tirelessly for our members”, and other phrases telling me of why I should be a member of their organization.

I recently read a comment from an executive of a national pharmacy organization writing a letter to an executive of a major pharmaceutical company explaining what pharmacists do and how important we are. I read a second letter from another pharmacy organization telling a legislature leader how important pharmacists are in the care of patients. The first article went on to explain that this particular pharmacy organization has been around for almost 80-years, advocating for pharmacists and hoping that the pharmaceutical industry will recognize pharmacists and the role they play. I was thinking…if you have to explain to an executive how important pharmacists are after 80 years, does that really tell you something about the effectiveness of your organization. There are currently 21 national pharmacy organizations. ¹ Pharmacy organizations simply are looking for members to support their cause and agenda. If they truly were interested in the profession, they would work together as one organization. They would collectively use their money and influence to get things done. If it has taken 80 years for pharmacists to still not to be recognized as a healthcare profession, do you think the next 80 years is going to be any different.

Pharmacists have an incredible opportunity to demonstrate their value during the time of this pandemic. If our organizations worked together as one cohesive unit combining financial and education resources, I believe there is hope for our profession. In times such as this, we can make a huge impression nationally to demonstrate our value. We need a stronger voice to demonstrate our value. I am sorry to say that our many pharmacy organizations will continue to work in silos and we will continue to limp along trying to tell everyone how important we are.    

Michael J. Cawley, PharmD, RRT, CPFT, FCCM, has more than 25 years of experience practicing in the areas of medical, surgical, trauma, and burn intensive care as both a critical care clinical pharmacist and registered respiratory therapist.

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Reference:

US Pharmacist. Professional Organizations. https://www.uspharmacist.com/professional-organizations. Accessed August 16, 2020.