Bold claim: pharmacists could be your frontline solution in a doctor shortage, yet the system leaves them underutilized and underpaid. Democracy Dies in Darkness.
Pharmacists, eyes wide open, face the gap between high hopes for accessible care and the reality of who gets paid for what. And Tim Frost was right: community pharmacists are an underused health care resource, as he argued in his February 12 op-ed, “A solution to the doctor shortage could be just down the street.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/02/11/healthcare-pharmacists-regulation/)
However, a critical hurdle remains: Medicare beneficiaries aren’t covered for many services delivered by pharmacists. This mismatch creates a missing link in care. Patients go without the medical attention pharmacists are well-equipped to provide—care that could take place not only in neighborhood pharmacies but also across the country’s 6,100 hospitals and clinics where pharmacists play a vital role. The policy gap effectively blocks access to expanded, pharmacist-delivered services that could alleviate pressures on physicians and improve outcomes for millions of beneficiaries.
In short, expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice could ease the doctor shortage, but reimbursement rules and coverage gaps must evolve to unlock this potential. The question for policymakers, clinicians, and patients alike is straightforward: should pharmacists be reimbursed for their appropriate clinical services, and how can we design a system that makes that care both accessible and affordable for all patients?
