Take the Bull by the Horns

Well, another productive day. I spoke with a pharmacist at HMSA/Healthways who truly backs me. She told me how reimbursement really is (at least in Hawaii), and ways I can make a difference. Then, she connected me to people who can help make it happen. By IT, I mean provider status for pharmacists. Until we have provider status, we can’t bill for our services (which go way beyond pill counting), and therefore we won’t be able to offer those services. One needs an income to live.

We need to be the quality people. Pharmacists are known for being detail oriented, even anal retentive. I think it’s a pre-req for getting into pharmacy school. Would you want a spacey “idea guy” handling your medications? I didn’t think so. So, now is a time where the government is calling for accountability. Now is the time that pharmacy HAS to jump up and take the bull by the horns. If we don’t, we will be pushed out of the healthcare model. We have to tell every doctor, every nurse, every administrator that they need us in order to meet these quality standards, and to do it efficiently and effectively. We have to get the word out! We need pharmacists in politics, being active in the legislature and pushing bills forward, not only in each state, but nation-wide.

All of those states with provider status, we need your people to help the other states get on the ball. We have too few people doing the work and too many people not believing it can be done. I am tired of trying to fit a model that doesn’t include us. We need to assert our place in the patient’s overall care or be shoved out. Jump on board or start training for your next career folks!