Leaders from the UCSF School of Pharmacy and experts nationwide are re-convening to advance strategic work begun at last year’s pivotal national workshop, aimed at addressing pressing workforce challenges and shaping the future of pharmacy.

On Jan. 21, about 20 leaders met at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in Washington D.C. to identify the top three priority areas. For each priority area, they developed one-year roadmaps with milestones to guide progress and accountability.

“The level of support from leading national pharmacy organizations including the American Pharmacists Association, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American-Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy was immense,” said Jonathan Watanabe, PharmD, MS, PhD, chair of the school’s Department of Clinical Pharmacy. “We’re moving beyond the ideas we discussed at last year’s workshop, and setting aggressive timelines to move them forward and see both state-level and national impact.”

Advancing the Profession

The group identified three priority areas that are critical to strengthening the profession:

• Reimbursement reform to address longstanding challenges in how pharmacists are paid for clinical services at financially sustainable levels
• Addressing standard of care policies nationally to reflect an expanded scope of practice, empowering pharmacists to more fully apply their expertise in patient care
• Boosting technology and infrastructure by investing in systems that support future-ready practice environments 

Working groups will be assigned to each priority area to make progress on the roadmaps and milestones.

“I’m thrilled that the major pharmacy organizations have committed to collaborate on several high-priority projects over the coming year,” said UCSF School of Pharmacy Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm. “Last year’s workshop laid out a powerful vision and collaboration will be key to converting those workshop insights into tangible action on a national scale.”
 
Experts also emphasized the importance of aligning efforts across organizations and sectors to sustain momentum and build on existing initiatives.

National Workshop Laid Groundwork for Change

The January meeting builds on the successful Innovations in Pharmacy Training and Practice to Advance Patient Care workshop held in May 2025. The two-day workshop was proposed and fund-raised by Giacomini and hosted by the National Academies, with Watanabe leading the 11-member planning committee.

The first of its kind, the workshop brought together well over 1,000 experts from around the country to explore pharmacy workforce solutions to eliminate pharmacy deserts, new models with expanded roles for pharmacists in health care delivery systems, strategies for collaborative care environments that reduce clinician burnout, and next-generation training programs to prepare pharmacists for broader roles.

The National Academies has since released the workshop proceedings, which highlight the evolving role of pharmacists and the urgent need for innovative approaches to workforce development and financial sustainability for pharmacy practice.
 
Key takeaways include: 

• During the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists helped prevent more than 1 million deaths and 8 million hospitalizations, saving $450 billion in health care costs. Pharmacists are uniquely educated and trained as drug therapy experts, but the system does not recognize the full scope of their capabilities.
• Over 50 million Americans live in pharmacy deserts with limited or no access to a pharmacy. Pharmacy closures have many impacts on a community, including decreased medication adherence, vaccinations, access to medications, ability to consult with pharmacists, and job opportunities.
• 51 percent of pharmacists reported experiencing burnout. Contributing factors include workforce shortages and imbalances, financial pressures from rising costs and low reimbursement for services, evolving technologies, and limited workplace flexibility.
• The role of pharmacists is evolving, with about 25% of pharmacists pursuing non-clinical careers, such as in the pharmaceutical industry.