The published work of Drs. Lucas A. Berenbrok, PharmD, MS, BCACP, TTS, Kim C. Coley, PharmD, FCCP, Inmaculada Hernandez, PharmD, PhD, FACC, FAHA and data analyst Joseph Gabriel is featured in the JAMA Network OPEN titled, “Evaluation of Frequency of Encounters with Primary Care Physicians versus Visits to Community Pharmacies Among Medicare Beneficiaries.” Their paper estimates the number of times patients visit the community pharmacy compared to their primary care physicians to highlight the important role of pharmacists on primary care teams.
This revolutionary study shows that Medicare patients visit community pharmacies almost twice as often as they visit primary care providers. In all 50 states and all but 9 counties, visits to community pharmacies were greater than visits with primary care providers. Publication in JAMA Network Open supports how community pharmacists can assist primary care physicians in the delivery of chronic disease management.
