Should Business Training be a Required Element of Pharmacy Training

Objective. Since pharmacists cannot be reimbursed for their clinical services as well as current providers listed under the Social Security Act, it is more difficult finding ways to financially support their services so these services may be more accessible to patients. Business training in pharmacy school may provide a foundation for pharmacists to create financially viable practice models and allow for better communication with administrative decision makers. Discussion. Supporting pharmacist accessibility to deliver patient clinical services has been challenging because pharmacists are not listed as providers under Medicare via the Social Security Act. Because in many cases there is not sufficient financial support through reimbursement to cover pharmacist labor costs, pharmacists must show they save more in labor costs through cost-avoidance to be accessible to patients in a particular health care setting. Conclusion. The provision of formal business training in pharmacy schools could more effectively assist graduate pharmacists in creating financially viable models of practice to increase pharmacist clinical service accessibility.