ASHP Announces New Section of Community Pharmacy Practitioners

New Membership Section Supports Advancing Pharmacy Practice Across Continuum of Patient Care

The ASHP Board of Directors has voted to create a new Section of Community Pharmacy Practitioners with the goal of better supporting and addressing the unique issues of ASHP members who practice in this important and growing area of practice within health systems. The creation of this new section also reflects the need to further improve continuity of care for patients and to provide more seamless transitions in care. 

The new membership section provides a distinct membership home within ASHP for pharmacists, student pharmacists, pharmacy residents, and pharmacy technicians who practice in community/ambulatory pharmacy-based settings and who are involved in direct patient care, leadership and management, and implementation of advanced practice models and education. The section will also further support practices that offer ASHP-Accredited Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Programs and those who may wish to start a program. Additionally, the section will provide a home for student pharmacists exploring careers as patient care providers in community pharmacy settings.

“ASHP’s new Section of Community Pharmacy Practitioners builds on our 78-year history of ensuring medication use is optimal, safe, and effective for all people in all settings,” said ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz, Pharm.D., Sc.D. (Hon.), FASHP. “The pharmacy enterprise is adapting to changes in service delivery and the complete integration of care across all patient-care settings. ASHP’s strategic vision specifically calls for pharmacists to manage patients’ medication therapy across the entire care continuum. With healthcare evolving beyond traditional models and into a holistic, integrated systems approach, this new section will provide a critical focus on advancing community-based practice, whether in ambulatory pharmacies within our health systems or through connecting with other community pharmacies to optimize medication therapy for our patients. It is imperative that ASHP supports all aspects and settings of care to improve health outcomes and achieve practice innovation.”

More than 70% of hospitals over 300 beds operate one or more ambulatory/community pharmacies. The ASHP National Survey of Pharmacy Practice in Hospital Settings indicates a shift from acute care to comprehensive care. In 2019, nearly half of health systems surveyed reported a business relationship with community pharmacies. The shift in care is also reflected in the workforce. Health systems employ a large number of outpatient or community pharmacists that are differentiated from pharmacists working in clinics. Integration of community pharmacy practice is a natural progression of implementing patient-centered care across the entire medication-use continuum.

The new section allows for additional focus and new perspectives to be placed on important issues facing practitioners in ambulatory and community pharmacies and is in full alignment with the mission and vision of ASHP, similar to the focus of existing ASHP Sections and Forums.

ASHP will appoint an executive committee to lead the work of the section this fall. ASHP members interested in serving on the section’s leadership can submit an application by Oct. 19.

For more information, please visit ASHP’s website.