Healthcare Reform: Doctors as Pharmacists

The recent healthcare reform bill will not only affect the health insurance coverage of 30 million more Americans. The changes will also lead to an increased number of physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other non-physicians providing primary care to patients. This trend has been practiced at Richmond?s local free clinic, the Center for High Blood Pressure, where pharmacy college students and license pharmacists are consulted for treatment.

Clinic patient Ella Highsmith says that the care from these pharmacists is consistently good. Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy assistant professor Evan Sisson predicts that more pharmacists will be partnering with physicians and other healthcare providers. Supporting this prediction is Virginia Department of Health Professions? Healthcare Workforce Data Center director, Elizabeth Carter, who says that the US has too many physicians. The growing number of retiring physicians and baby boomers growing older will lead to the increase of primary-care providers.

The Virginia Department of Health Professions reports that around 1, 700 physician assistants and 5,100 nurse practitioners are licensed to provide primary care. These statistics have grown since June 2000, when there were only 600 physician assistants and 3,900 nurse practitioners. More and more walk-in clinics are adapting the employment of physician assistants and nurses to treat ear infections, administer common vaccinations, and check on strep throat problems.

Virginia requires that primary-care providers work under a doctor?s supervision. Although doctors have a respect for non-physician caregivers, it is still important to note the difference in training. The president of Virginia?s Medical Society, Dr. Daniel Carey, says that the supervision is for the patient?s safety and overall health interest. He adds that doctors have accomplished 12,000 to 16,000 hours of medical training; a number much larger than what physician assistant or nurses go through.

Local Virginia laws adhere to the need for physician supervision. According to Cindy Fagan, President of the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners, a nurse practitioner can only write prescriptions when they are supervised and medically directed by a physician. The doctor should work during regular office hours in the nurses? hospital or clinic. Rural areas are the only exception since it is a challenge to hire providers in such districts.