The biggest challenge pharmacist's face
is obtaining provider status. As a profession, pharmacists are
equipped with the knowledge needed to make the change, but other
medical professionals are unwilling to let this happen. With the
changing of law under Obamacare, the medical professions may have to
allow pharmacists to be considered medical providers and capable of
billing Medicaid, Medicare, and other insurance companies. Or,
Congress may have to step up and mandate that pharmacists be given
provider status.
With shortages already occurring in
primary care and family medicine, the wait times for doctor
appointments are increasing and many are reducing the number of times
per year they are seeing patients. With the increasing number of
people being diagnosed with diabetes, care for this chronic disease
is being strained to the breaking point in some areas of the United
States.
These same areas are short on doctors
and other professionals capable of helping people with diabetes.
This also applies to people capable of providing education for people
with diabetes. A shortage of pharmacists does not seem to be
happening on the same level. There may not be an abundance, but
there is no extreme shortage of pharmacists. Yet the state medical
boards stand in the way of pharmacists obtaining provider status.
“As the number of people with
diabetes grows, so does the need for health care providers to give
optimal care, and so does the amount of money it takes to do so.
Diabetes is a complicated disease. It takes a lot of effort on both
the patient and physicians part to maintain control. It's tough to
see your doctor when you are sick, and it's even tougher to see them
on a regular basis. Doctor visits every other month are not enough
for most diabetic patients. Things fluctuate and need regular
attention. Often, poor people, Medicaid patients, and people without
their own transportation have the most trouble with getting care.”
Pharmacists can be more accessible and
they can provide optimal care for patients between visits to the
doctor. It is possible for pharmacists to monitor insulin pump data,
check glucose readings, look over carbs/diets, and make
recommendations for therapy adjustments. The benefits of this type
of work can help improve care, optimize control, and save money in
the end. Yet the state medical boards stand in the way of
pharmacists obtaining provider status.
How many times will I have to say the
last sentence? State and national medical groups apply pressure to
state medical boards who then lobby state legislators to prevent
pharmacists from obtaining provider status.
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