HARRISBURG – On February 1, the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA) hosted a Workplace Summit at the Hilton Harrisburg with pharmacy employers and key stakeholders from across the Commonwealth. The Summit provided the opportunity for a collaborative discussion with employers and PPA leadership and staff to identify and create viable and relevant ways the association can work together with these entities to support the rapidly evolving needs of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students.
Several consistent themes resulted from the conversation: pharmacy technician manpower, pharmacy reimbursements and the public image of pharmacy as a profession.
- Pharmacy Technicians as critical support staff. Hiring and retaining skilled pharmacy technicians is becoming increasingly difficult. There are just a few pharmacy technician programs in Pennsylvania beyond those being offered by pharmacy employers. Wages that pharmacies can offer do not compete with those earned in other industries such as fast food and convenience store industries. Opportunities for career advancement are limited among many employers, and those that do offer them find that their technicians leave once trained for other opportunities.
- Pharmacy Revenue. Negative pharmacy reimbursements have severely impacted the ability pharmacies to maintain sufficient staff or pay competitive wages. Pharmacies across the Commonwealth report incredible losses on their drug purchases, which when coupled with the lack of reimbursement for pharmacist care services, make it impossible to offer competitive wages.
- Public Image of Pharmacy. There is misalignment of the public narrative on the role of pharmacists and the advanced training and skill sets that result from an accredited pharmacy education program. Pharmacists are not seen by consumers as healthcare providers. The public perception is often that of an individual providing a service that can be delivered on-demand at the convenience of the consumer. This is despite the constraints of prescription volume, insurance limitations and little expectation for patient-healthcare professional interaction.
The Summit participants acknowledged a need for continued conversations around these mission critical challenges, and we look forward to a follow up session soon. There was unilateral agreement on the need for a unified voice across all pharmacy practice settings that reinforces pharmacists as medication experts in all health care settings, provides clarity on the critical role pharmacists play in the healthcare ecosystem which continues to evolve in this post-COVID area that has seen a significant reduction in the numbers and availability of primary healthcare providers.
The PPA would like to thank all the participants for their commitment of time and expertise to the Workplace Summit. We are confident that together we will be able to affect the change that begins to address our most pressing challenges of pharmacy technician workforce, pharmacy revenue and the image of our beloved profession.
PPA Workplace Summit Participants:
- Emily Kryger, Geriatric Clinical Pharmacist, PharmRecs LLC
- Nicholas Cicco, Senior Director of Pharmacy, Weis Markets
- Zachary Leslie, Healthcare Supervisor, Walgreens Co.
- Courtney Quattrone, Patient Care Pharmacist, ACME Sav-On Pharmacy
- Christopher Antypas, President & COO, Asti’s South Hills Pharmacy
- David Cippel, President, Klingensmith’s Drug Stores
- Rick Seipp, Vice President Pharmacy Strategy, Value Drug Company
- Erich Cushey, Owner, Curtis Pharmacy
- Patrick Lavella, Manager & Strategic Pharmacy Initiatives, Value Drug Company
- Erik Hernandez, Vice President of Pharmacy Services for Central PA, UPMC
- Brian Swift, Vice President & Chief of Pharmacy, Jefferson Health
- Marian Rhoads, Regional Director. St. Joseph and Lancaster Medical Center at Penn State Health
- Nishaminy Kasbekar, Vice President & Chief Pharmacy Officer, Penn Medicine
- Larry Jones, Executive Director, PSHP
- Molly Beimel, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Complete Care, Inc
- Jennifer Urso, Vice President, Guardian Healthcare
- Michelle Murphy, Director of Pharmacy, AmeriHealth Caritas
- Eric Yarnell, Vice President, Pharmacy, Highmark Wholecare
- John DeJames, Manager of Clinical Services and Development, Value Drug Company
- Jonathan Ference, Dean, Wilkes University – Nesbitt School of Pharmacy
- Thomas Franko, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Wilkes University – Nesbitt School of Pharmacy
- Melissa McGivney, Associate Dean for Student Success and Professional Initiativesat University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
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About The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association
Founded in 1878, the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association is a professional membership organization of more than 2,300 pharmacists and pharmacy students across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, representing all facets of pharmacy practice. As the leading voice of pharmacy in Pennsylvania, PPA promotes the profession through advocacy, education, and communication to enhance patient care and public health. For more information about PPA, visit papharmacists.com/.
