CVS Health executive William H. Shrank, M.D., not surprisingly argues in the Harvard Business Review that collaborating with retail pharmacies can help healthcare systems deliver value-based care. He is a senior vice president, the chief scientific officer, and the chief medical officer of Health Systems Alliances for CVS Health.
He cited several “realities in population health management”:
- Patients with chronic conditions see their pharmacists much more often than they see their physicians. Thus, he argues, the druggists have more opportunities to influence patients’ behavior.
- Pharmacies have vast data that healthcare systems can access through partnerships to improve population health.
- Retail clinics reduce the pressure on hospital and other emergency departments.
- Pharmacists can improve preventive care by intervening before patients need to be hospitalized.
