Expanding Access to Patient Care in Community Pharmacies for Minor Illnesses in Washington State

Abstract

Julie Marie Akers,1,* Jennifer C Miller,1,* Brandy Seignemartin,2,* Linda Garrelts MacLean,1,* Bidisha Mandal,3,* Clark Kogan4,* 1College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; 2College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University Anchorage Campus, Anchorage, AK, USA; 3School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA; 4Department of Mathematics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Julie Marie Akers, Washington State University, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 412 E Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99202-2131, USA, Tel [phone], Email [email protected]: As the shortage of primary care providers widens nationwide, access to care utilizing non-physician providers is one strategy to ensure equitable access to care. This study aimed to compare community pharmacist-provided care for minor ailments to care provided at three traditional sites of care: primary care, urgent care, and emergency department, to determine if care provided by pharmacists improved access with comparable quality and reduced financial strain on the healthcare system.Methods: Pharmacy data was provided from 46 pharmacies and 175 pharmacists who participated across five pharmacy corporations over a 3-year period (2016– 2019). Data for non-pharmacy sites of care was provided by a large health plan, matching episodes of care for conditions seen in the community pharmacy. Cost-of-care analysis was conducted using superiority study design and revisit data analysis was conducted using noninferiority study design.Results: Median cost-of-care across traditional sites of care was $277.78 higher than care provided at the pharmacies, showing superiority. Noninferiority was demonstrated for revisit care when the initial visit was conducted by a pharmacist compared to traditional sites.Discussion: The authors conclude community pharmacist-provided care for minor ailments improved cost-effective access for patients with comparable quality and reduced financial strains on the healthcare system.Keywords: patient access, community pharmacy, minor ailments, cost of care

Keywords

• patient access
• community pharmacy
• minor ailments
• cost of care