{"id":947,"date":"2022-08-25T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dignio.com\/us\/?p=947"},"modified":"2022-08-26T10:08:02","modified_gmt":"2022-08-26T14:08:02","slug":"role-of-pharmacists-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dignio.com\/us\/role-of-pharmacists-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Modern Technology and the Role of Pharmacists"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just as digital technology has evolved over the years, so too has the role of the pharmacist in patient care. Pharmacists and modern technology are becoming increasingly recognized as essential for access to care and the monitoring of patients with chronic conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

In many cases, the two have worked together to change patient care for the better.<\/span> Remote patient monitoring (RPM) technology<\/span><\/a> has enabled pharmacists to become more involved in their patients’ care teams and management plans than ever before. Today’s pharmacists can make crucial decisions on behalf of their most vulnerable patients, both independently and as a part of a collaborative care team.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on to learn how the digital age is transforming the role of pharmacists, enabling them to harness new technology to practice at the top of their licenses, and what every pharmacist needs to know about newer developments, such as RPM.<\/span><\/p>\n


The Changing Role of Pharmacists in the Digital Age<\/b><\/h2>\n

For years, pharmacists were stuck behind the counter to review prescriptions and dispense medications with little face-to-face contact with patients. However, the modern pharmacist’s role has<\/span> shifted<\/span><\/a> from being “product-oriented” to providing more “patient-facing” services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today’s pharmacists play a valuable role in patient care, utilizing their years of education and expertise to educate and counsel patients on the care and management of their health conditions. Pharmacists have the ability to utilize the full range of their skills, engage patients differently, and practice at the top of their licenses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Collaborative practice agreements with private practice physicians or hospital systems, as well as local laws in some places, expand the scope of services pharmacists can offer. Pharmacists can now dispense medications and offer medication counseling, manage medications, administer vaccines, provide disease education, test and treat minor conditions on behalf of their patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

In combination with changes in formal policy, technological developments have facilitated pharmacists’ ability to deliver medication counseling and management services. Technological developments like<\/span> RPM applications<\/span><\/a> have further expanded the role of the pharmacist, enabling them to serve as the primary point of contact for remote patient care.<\/span><\/p>\n

The telehealth boom has impacted pharmacists similarly to other medical professionals. While remote telepharmacy services emerged naturally as a result of other technological developments, they rose to special prominence<\/span> during the COVID-19 pandemic<\/span><\/a>, when government shutdowns mandated the quick adaptation of the medical profession to changing social norms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout the pandemic, pharmacists’ efforts to make medication management virtual have been instrumental in keeping vulnerable patients safe. To some degree, these telepharmacy services are here to stay. However, as the return to a “new normal” continues,<\/span> blended pharmacy services<\/span><\/a> (i.e., part in-person, part virtual) are becoming increasingly common.<\/span><\/p>\n

Workflows incorporating the use of technology\u2014for example, to monitor medication adherence and effectiveness\u2014have the potential to make pharmacists more productive and efficient, while creating a new revenue stream and improving patient lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n


How Pharmacists Can Use Modern Technology to Practice at the Top of Their Licenses<\/b><\/h2>\n

Given the<\/span> immense changes<\/span><\/a> that have occurred in our technological capabilities over the decades, it is difficult to predict what telepharmacy services will look like ten or twenty years into the future. Many of the changes that have occurred, such as those due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were unprecedented and unanticipated, even by experts at the top of their games.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet as our healthcare system becomes increasingly overwhelmed and patients’ needs continue to evolve, we can expect that the role of pharmacists will too. By embracing these changes, pharmacists can take advantage of new technological developments to meet the demand for healthcare access and services. The<\/span> medical technologies<\/span><\/a> most relevant to today’s pharmacists include:<\/span><\/p>\n