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Healthcare provider shortages - the numbers don't add up.

By Dennis Tribble posted 18 days ago

  

I viewed an article in Becker's this morning about healthcare provide shortage entitled Healthcare’s broken math: 11 signs the numbers don’t add up. it is an interesting read. The short story appears to be that the upcoming supply of primary care healthcare providers is unlikely to meet demand by a significant margin and those who are entering practice are disproportionately locating to urban areas and more lucrative specialties.

Interestingly, the article did not mention pharmacists as primary care providers. 

What if we could step into that role? How would we do that? Where would we locate our practices so that we provided good access? What would we need to have in place? What regulations (especially state regulations) would have to change? How would we arrange to manage our drug preparation, packaging and distribution responsibilities (or delegate them to someone suitably trained)?

I think there is a real opportunity hear. But we need to be ready to seize it. Are we ready?

What do you think?

Dennis A. Tribble, PharmD, FASHP

Retired

Ormond Beach, FL

tribbledennis@gmail.com

2 comments
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https://connect.ashp.org/blogs/dennis-tribble/2025/06/26/healthcare-provider-shortages-the-numbers-dont-add

Comments

Jamilah Green
9 days ago

I agree that more than ever, this is a time of great opportunity to act as physician extenders in our communities. Unfortunately, there are multiple barriers from inconsistent state laws, limited prescribing authorities and lacking ability to bill for clinical services. We are also under-utilized on primary teams; most of the general public still have no idea of the level of clinical training pharmacists have. We have to capitalize our national and state level organizations to fight for provider status, integrated EHRs, clinical billing and educating the public & providers about our profession! 

System
9 days ago

I agree that more than ever, this is a time of great opportunity to act as physician extenders in our communities. Unfortunately, there are multiple barriers from inconsistent state laws, limited prescribing authorities and lacking ability to bill for clinical services. We are also under-utilized on primary teams; most of the general public still have no idea of the level of clinical training pharmacists have. We have to capitalize our national and state level organizations to fight for provider status, integrated EHRs, clinical billing and educating the public & providers about our profession!