DoctorsLounge, a website that provides educational resources to doctors, students, and allied clinical professionals, recently promoted CDC's Creating Community-Clinical Linkages between Community Pharmacists and Physicians.

It’s great to see the other side of the aisle reaching out to explore how to partner with pharmacists! Primary care, particularly MTM and collaborative drug therapy management, benefits when physicians and pharmacists work together. This is especially important for community-based pharmacy practitioners in community and ambulatory care who are looking for meaningful ways to expand their practices.

The guide was released in 2017 and highlights how community pharmacists and physicians can work together to bring patient care into communities between doctor visits and address unmet needs. It provides a basis for pharmacists to start or enhance a conversation with the rest of the health care team and includes action steps for pharmacists and physicians to take together.

I encourage all of you to take a look if you haven’t already.

I’m very proud of our ongoing relationship with CDC as we promote the public health of our nation. Since 2016 APhA has collaborated with CDC on projects related to managing high blood pressure, engaging pharmacy partners, and advancing team-based care through collaborative practice agreements. We’re also working together on the opioid crisis and pain management and a diabetes prevention grant through the APhA Foundation.

I’m pleased to share a high five with our APhA team of staff and volunteers. Getting pharmacists on the team and in the game is why we come to work every day.