Looking Back at US Pharmacy’s Past to Help Discern Its Future

Abstract

Objective: To review specific literature that aimed to predict the future of US pharmacy, beginning in the late 1980s. Data Sources: Articles were identified from searching MEDLINE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and references of relevant articles. The following combinations of search terms were used: future, pharmacy, prediction, and forecast. Study Selection and Data Extraction: The following inclusion criteria were applied: (1) full-text commentary, review, or original research and (2) focused predominantly on the pharmacy in the United States. Data on predictions for the future of pharmacy were extracted. Data Synthesis: We selected 3 articles published between 1988 and 2006, with each aiming to project the future for the following decade. We examined each prediction in light of the current knowledge. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Educators, practitioners, and other stakeholders should consider reflecting on the changes in pharmacy for the past 3 decades and applying both historical and emerging trends to improve patient care and sustain practice in the third decade of the 21st century and beyond. Conclusion: Most of the predictions for the future of pharmacy from the past 3 decades materialized, with some still in progress (reimbursement for pharmacy services), whereas others manifested in unexpected ways (transition from shortage to excess of pharmacists). Current forces shaping pharmacy include, but are not limited to, growing spending and use of specialty drugs, automation of pharmacy operations, growth of pharmacy in the digital health enterprise, and growing consumer interest in the use of analytical pharmacy that tests drugs before dispensing.

Trends of High-Impact Studies in Pharmacology and Pharmacy: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Pharmacology is the study of the sources, uses, and mechanisms of action of drugs ( Reidenberg, 1991 ; Barnes et al, 2005 ). Pharmacy is the science or practice of preparing, formulating, and dispensing medicinal drugs ( Allen, 2012 ; Shcherbakova and Desselle, 2020 ). In the Web of Science subject categories, “pharmacology and pharmacy” is a category that includes studies from both fields.…”

Text duplication of papers in four medical related fields

“…as well as the therapeutic and other uses of drugs (Reidenberg, 1991;Shcherbakova & Desselle, 2020). Public health and preventive medicine deal with groups or populations rather than individuals, aiming to reduce the risk of disease transmission.…”

Evaluating a Skills Laboratory Curriculum to Determine the Essential Skills for Pharmacy Students to Learn

“…A separate approach for determining the direction of the future of pharmacy was proposed by Shcherbakova and Desselle, who suggest examining the past to look for historical and emerging trends. 18 Previous predictions for the future of practice were often found to be accurate, although the results were not always achieved in the expected way. 18 Similarly to DiPiro, Shcherbakova and Desselle suggested technology as a driving force for future practice.…”

“…18 Previous predictions for the future of practice were often found to be accurate, although the results were not always achieved in the expected way. 18 Similarly to DiPiro, Shcherbakova and Desselle suggested technology as a driving force for future practice. Digital health care tools, increasing user interest in pharmacogenomics, and the automation of pharmacy operations shape the day-to-day work performed by pharmacists.…”

“…Digital health care tools, increasing user interest in pharmacogenomics, and the automation of pharmacy operations shape the day-to-day work performed by pharmacists. 18 Skills labs offer student pharmacists the opportunity to utilize new digital health care tools and practice performing pharmacist roles in a safe environment where no patient will be harmed during the learning process. For student pharmacists to be successful during experiential learning experiences, skills lab faculty must ensure students have the skills to navigate new technology they will encounter in experiential practice.…”