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Pharmacist Contributions to the U.S. Health Care System Reported in the 2009 and 2014 National Pharmacist Workforce Surveys
Journal article   Open access

Pharmacist Contributions to the U.S. Health Care System Reported in the 2009 and 2014 National Pharmacist Workforce Surveys

Jon C. Schommer, Caroline A. Gaither, William R. Doucette, David H. Kreling and David A. Mott
Innovations in pharmacy, Vol.6(2), 200
01/01/2015
DOI: 10.24926/iip.v6i2.382
url
https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v6i2.382View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Objectives: Characterize the pharmacist workforce into segments based on the proportion of time they spend in medication providing and patient care services and compare changes in these segments between 2009 and 2014.Methods: Data from the 2009 and 2014 National Pharmacist Workforce Surveys were analyzed. Random samples of 3,000 and 5,200 pharmacists, respectively, were surveyed via mailed questionnaires with a four-contact approach. Medication providing included preparing, distributing and administering medication products, including associated consultation. Patient care services were professional services designed for patient care and medication management. Cluster analysis was used for identifying pharmacist segments and descriptive statistics were used for describing additional aspects of segments.Results: The 2009 and 2014 surveys achieved 52% and 48% response rates, respectively. Responses from 1,200 pharmacists in 2009 and 1,382 pharmacists in 2014 were usable for cluster analysis. In both 2009 and 2014, five segments of pharmacists were identified. The proportions of pharmacists in each segment for the two surveys (2009 and 2014) were: (1) Medication Providers (41% and 40%), (2) Medication Providers who also Provide Patient Care (25% and 22%), (3) Other Activity Pharmacists (16% and 18%), (4) PatientCare Providers who also Provide Medication (12% and 13%), and (5) Patient Care Providers (6% and 7%). Conclusions: The proportion of pharmacists in the five segments did not differ significantly between 2009 and 2014. However, when one considers changes between 2009 and 2014 in the proportion of time devoted to direct patient care, hours worked per week, and expansion of residency training within segments, it is clear that pharmacist capacity for direct patient care increased between 2009 and 2014. However, there remains a need for, and segment of, pharmacists devoted to specialty practices, dispensing, and patient care services which are delivered at the point-of-care. It appears that increases in the number of pharmacy school graduates per year has helped the pharmacy profession meet medication provider needs while, at the same time, expand capacity for new roles in patient care.

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