That was one of the results of the annual ASHP/ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Forecast Report. The 2024 Pharmacy Forecast was recently released at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition. The results came from a survey of more than 250 pharmacy leaders from across the United States on the most critical topics affecting health systems.
In the 2024 ASHP survey, 71% of participants suggested that pharmacists could take on more responsibility in treating substance abusers. Pharmacy Forecast authors recommended that health-system leaders take advantage of the expertise of pharmacists.
“An ‘all-hands’ approach is needed so that everyone involved in direct care increases their skills and knowledge in mental health,” explained Joseph T. DiPiro, PharmD, editor of the Pharmacy Forecast. “To do this, we need health systems to develop additional infrastructure and support. Providing mental health first-aid training to healthcare workers should be as common as CPR training.”
Other issues addressed in the survey included ultra-high–cost treatments, climate change, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The leaders were questioned on how those issues could alter how health systems serve their communities within 5 years.
“This 12th annual Pharmacy Forecast contains topics of broad healthcare importance underscoring societal challenges that will likely drive profound changes to healthcare delivery, including not only our practices as pharmacists, but even the future structure of our health systems,” said ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, ScD (Hon), FASHP. “As healthcare evolves at an unprecedented pace, pharmacists’ engagement is crucial to ensuring safe and effective care for all patients.”
The report, which was also published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, had the following results:
• More than three-quarters of survey respondents noted that formulary and policy decisions for ultra-high–cost drugs will be made by payers or service-line stakeholders, weakening the scope of the pharmacy and therapeutics committees, which have led the selection of drugs provided by health systems for decades
• In addition, 77% of survey respondents believe that it is somewhat-to-very likely the cost and complexity of new treatments will result in the termination of service lines within some health systems
• Survey participants expect the frequency of public health emergencies related to climate change to double in coming years, affecting health systems and the communities they serve
• Most survey respondents (86%) believe AI technology can provide automated drug-dosing adjustments based on factors such as kidney function, weight, and age; and more than half of respondents believe advanced technologies, including AI, will help close the gap on healthcare disparities
• A full 80% expect, however, that a high-profile failure of AI that causes patient harm will accelerate government regulation of AI technology.
Of the 46 survey items included in the 2024 report, 70% or more of respondents opined those were somewhat or very likely to occur. Those included issues involving adolescent substance use disorders, government investment in programs to reduce health disparities, and the influence of ultra-high–cost drugs on services provided by hospitals.
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