The Evolving Role of Pharmacists in Public Health

Pharmacists do a lot more than dispense medication. Pharmacies have become a major hub for people to access health care services—like testing, vaccine, and treatment—during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, roughly 75 percent of the country’s eligible population got their COVID-19 vaccine from a pharmacy.  How has the role of the pharmacist evolved over time? This week’s guest experts, Dr. Jeffrey Bratberg and Dr. Sabrina Silveira, will explain just that. Dr. Bratberg is a clinical professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, the academic collaborations officer at the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Academic Institute, and associate editor for the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. Dr. Silveira is a newly graduated pharmacist from URI’s College of Pharmacy with experience as a hospital outpatient pharmacist.  What kind of training is required for pharmacists? What additional opportunities are there to expand pharmacists’ role in healthcare delivery? Download this week’s episode to find out.