Creating an Impact on Population Health: Opportunities for Pharmacy

Pharmacists play a vital role in diabetes treatment and prevention, and the APhA Foundation is making sure pharmacists are well equipped and pharmacy teams are paid as providers for their efforts.

by Emily Albers, Pharm.D., Senior Manager of Program Engagement and Communication, APhA Foundation

Pharmacists know it: Diabetes is a public health challenge. Over 38.4 million Americans have diabetes, and another 97.6 million Americans have prediabetes. Pharmacists have become a crucial component of diabetes treatment and prevention for these millions of patients, and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation is making sure pharmacists are well equipped and pharmacy teams are paid as providers for their efforts.

The APhA Foundation is championing the delivery and sustainability of diabetes prevention services in pharmacies, primarily by positioning pharmacies as the single point of highest access across the continuum of diabetes care.

The APhA Foundation was established in 1953 as the charitable branch of APhA, dedicated to improving health by inspiring philanthropy, research, and innovation that advances pharmacists’ patient care services.

“Our approach enables pharmacists and pharmacy teams to efficiently provide personalized, team-based care to patients at risk for developing type 2 diabetes,” says Ben Bluml, executive director and senior vice president of research and innovation at the foundation.

Several industry executives and pharmacy owners interviewed for this article seem to feel the most important part of building a profitable front end is for the owner to decide the time has come to do it.

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More Information: IMPACT Care Transformation Network

In addition to Medicare DPP, the APhA Foundation also has other emerging research and innovation opportunities for practices, with the IMPACT Care Transformation Network focused on cardiovascular health and vaccine preventable disease service delivery models. For more information, visit www.aphafoundation.org/research and www.caretransformation.network, or use this link to indicate areas of interest for your pharmacy practice.

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Read on to:

• Understand the critical role pharmacists play in addressing the diabetes public health challenge and prediabetes prevalence.

• Learn about the APhA Foundation's initiatives to support pharmacists in delivering and sustaining diabetes prevention services.

• Discover how the APhA Foundation's collaboration with the CDC through the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) expanded pharmacy-based prevention efforts.

• Explore the successful outcomes of pharmacist-led diabetes prevention programs, including improved patient outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.

• Gain insights into the APhA Foundation's umbrella hub model for Medicare DPP reimbursement, ensuring the financial sustainability of pharmacy-based prevention services.