Pharmacy-based care offers practical solutions to workforce health challenges while significantly reducing spending for employers, a new report from the Health Action Alliance found.
“Employers need to control health care spending and increase access to care without shifting more costs to workers," said Steven C. Anderson, president of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, which commissioned the report. "This report demonstrates that pharmacy-based care meets personal and business needs. This is high-quality, accessible, affordable health care that keeps employees healthy and at work. Pharmacy partnerships help reduce both direct health care costs and the indirect costs of employee absences, while improving quality of life."
Although nearly 9 in 10 U.S. workers view pharmacy-based care positively and 7 in 10 say it would improve their health, the study revealed an overwhelming lack of awareness about the range of services that pharmacies can offer. Similarly, many employers remain unfamiliar with the return on investment these services can deliver. The employee perspective is clear and compelling:
- Sixty-five percent say pharmacy services would help them avoid missing work.
- Roughly 8 in 10 are comfortable with pharmacists providing treatment and preventive care, and 81% trust pharmacists to diagnose and treat routine illnesses.
- Sixty-two percent find a pharmacy visit more convenient than seeing a primary care doctor.
- Half of employees say wait times are too long; about one-third skip appointments because they are inconvenient; and more than one-third struggle with high copays.
Employers are beginning to take note. Seventy-three percent of employers believe pharmacy-based services would help reduce employees' out-of-pocket spending. Convenience is a major advantage – 92% consider pharmacy locations convenient and 89% cite easy access and extended hours as key benefits. Cost savings lead the list of reasons to support pharmacy services (92%), followed by employee demand (77%). Fifty-eight percent say they are open to expanding pharmacy options in their benefits packages, and none expressed opposition.
"Employers understand they need new strategies to control costs while keeping workers healthy and productive," said Stephen Massey, cofounder and co-CEO of Health Action Alliance. "When pharmacy services show consistent positive returns on investment and employees overwhelmingly support these options, the business case writes itself."
Research cited in the report indicates that pharmacy-led chronic disease management programs can significantly reduce hospital admissions and emergency visits. With 96.5% of Americans living within 10 miles of a pharmacy and 78 million lacking adequate access to primary care, pharmacies offer an existing infrastructure to address health care gaps. Studies show that pharmacy-based hypertension care alone could save the health care system trillions of dollars over three decades.
"Beyond the steps that employers can take today, working with policymakers to expand pharmacist scope of practice and create sustainable payment models will ensure every American has access to the care they need, when and where they need it," Anderson said. "This report provides the roadmap. Now we need action from employers, health plans and government leaders to realize the full potential of pharmacy-based care."
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