ABSTRACT
During her time as Executive Vice President and CEO of AACP, the Journal has made major advances thanks in large partto Dr. Maine's enthusiastic, compassionate, and visionary leadership. [...]of Dr. Maine's passion for advancing pharmacy education globally, the Journal appointed its first international associate editor in 2008. In the last 20 years, her contributions included topics ranging from Medicare and prescription coverage to the importance of science in schools and colleges of pharmacy, to lessons learned about the power of collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic, to pharmacists' roles and responsibilities in confronting systemic racism.3-7 The past and current AJPE editors, associate editors, editorial board members, authors, and reviewers have all benefited from Dr. Maine's commitment to ensure the continued success of the Journal.
ABSTRACT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2020-21 AACP Argus Commission was charged to 1) review the 2019-2020 standing committee reports;2) describe the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare delivery with an emphasis on health equity and social justice, 3) identify strategies to work with other health professions associations to advance interprofessional education and practice, and 4) offer recommendations for activities for the Center to Accelerate Pharmacy Practice Transformation and Academic Innovation (CAPT). (Source: 2018-19 Academic Affairs Committee) * Students, faculty, and practitioner educators should work to achieve cultural competence and to deliver culturally competent care as part of their efforts to eliminate disparities and inequalities that exist in the health care delivery system. (Source: Argus Commission 2017-18.) * As educators, researchers, and healthcare professionals, members of the AACP are committed to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, justice, and anti-racism and will seek opportunities to eradicate structural and systemic racism to address social determinants of health, diminish health disparities, and promote racial equity. The growing expectation on the part of payers to purchase outcomes instead of services is influencing the entire spectrum of healthcare in the U.S. This is fueling the vertical integration of healthcare both locally (merging of hospitals and outpatient care organizations and the creation of accountable care organizations) and nationally (merging of health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, community pharmacy chains and specialty pharmacies to create closed drug distribution channels).
ABSTRACT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2020-21 AACP Argus Commission was charged to 1) review the 2019-2020 standing committee reports; 2) describe the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare delivery with an emphasis on health equity and social justice, 3) identify strategies to work with other health professions associations to advance interprofessional education and practice, and 4) offer recommendations for activities for the Center to Accelerate Pharmacy Practice Transformation and Academic Innovation (CAPT). Two work groups divided charges 2 and 3 and provided assessments of how health care and education might change due to all we have experienced over the 12-plus months of the pandemic. A review of plans for the first year of the CAPT activities and recommendations for additional activities are included in report. The Commission has proposed two new policy statements on digital health, five recommendations for AACP and five suggestions for colleges and schools of pharmacy. The Argus Commission affirms academic pharmacy's adaptability, agency, and association to influence changes in healthcare delivery and interprofessional education and practice.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Education, Pharmacy , Pharmacy , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , Schools, PharmacyABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the limitations of the current health care workforce. As health care workers across the globe have been overwhelmed by the crisis, oversight entities and training programs have sought to loosen regulations to support ongoing care. Notably, however, workforce challenges preceded the current crisis. Now may be the time to address these underlying workforce challenges and emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with a stronger health care workforce.Building upon historical exemplars in the context of the current crisis, the authors of this Perspective provide a roadmap to rapidly and safely increase the workforce for COVID-19 and beyond. The authors recommend the following: (1) a comprehensive approach to guide health care workforce development, (2) streamlining transitions to the next level of practice, (3) reciprocity among state licensing boards or national licensure, (4) payment reform to support a strengthened health care workforce, and (5) efforts by employers to ensure the ongoing safety and competence of the bolstered workforce. These steps require urgent collaboration among stakeholders commensurate with the acuity of the pandemic. Implemented together, these actions could address not only the novel challenges presented by COVID-19 but also the underlying inadequacies of the health care workforce that must be remedied to create a healthier society.