Here’s an association — the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists — that’s making a serious effort to take a long-term view of challenges its profession faces in the future. Bravo! The association has come up with a long-range “vision” document covering the following critical issues:
- Credentialing
- Residency training
- Teamwork within the pharmacy function and the entire patient care process
- Role and credentials of pharmacy technicians
- Experiential learning requirements
- Expanded and specialized areas of pharmacy practice
- Role of automation and technology
And a second task force, on “pharmacy’s changing demographics,” made long-term recommendations for coping with workforce trends such as a shortage of pharmacists and demands for better work-life balance, as well as “generational differences, a changing gender mix, and ethnic and racial diversity.” (Notably, “the task force was composed of a diverse group that included health-system pharmacists, a nurse, a physician as well as a futurist and a sociologist.”)
