US pharmacists can now test for coronavirus. They are qualified to help with community care, home care and more if allowed to, says a healthcare ...
But an alternative exists that could help manage the pandemic among the majority of COVID-19 patients with mild or moderate symptoms.It is the 67,000 community pharmacies in the US, whose numbers dwarf the 5,500 hospitals and 1,400 community health centres. They are staffed by 175,000 pharmacists frequently referred to as the most overtrained and underutilised health care professionals in America.
When pharmacists in Los Angeles teamed up with barbershops to manage high blood pressure for black patients, nearly 90 per cent of the patients reached their blood pressure target, compared to only one-third of patients who received traditional medical care.In Kern County, California, another programme had pharmacists contact 1,100 vulnerable patients shortly after they were released from hospitals to ensure they were taking their medications correctly.
In the case of COVID-19, pharmacists could be a first point of contact for people who suspect they have been infected but aren’t seriously ill. The reason is pharmacists are not recognised by the US government as healthcare providers. They do not have access to critical national insurance reimbursement codes for providing medical services beyond filling prescriptions.
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