title: Establishing pathways for access to pharmacist-provided patient care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the pathways being established for access to pharmacist-provided patient care and supply recommendations for the next steps in this process.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of reports published by the American Pharmacists Association regarding pharmacist-provided patient care services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community pharmacies and integrated health organizations have emerged as the two predominant pathways for patient access to pharmacist-provided patient care. We view these two pathways as complementary in helping cover patients' entire medication therapy needs as they traverse acute and chronic health care services. However, gaps in access to pharmacist-provided care remain, especially during transitions in care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In further establishing pathways for access to pharmacist-provided patient care, we propose that the application of collaboration theory will help close gaps that currently exist between health care organizations. Such an approach carries risk and will require trust among participating organizations. This approach is also likely to require updating and contemporizing pharmacy practice acts and other statutes to allow pharmacists to practice at maximum capacity within new models of care. To perform their new roles and create sustainable business models to support these new functions, pharmacists will need to be paid for their services. To this end, changes will need to be made to payment and documentation systems, incentives, and contracting approaches to develop proper reimbursement and accounting for pharmacists' new roles.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Electronic address: schom010@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Jon C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Schommer
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA.
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Doucette
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma, OK.
authors.forename: Lourdes G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Planas
mesh_terms: D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D054539:Medication Therapy Management / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024382:Professional Role