Voices outside pharmacy continue to recognize the significant role pharmacists must play in future health care models. As the U.S. health care system shifts toward team-based care, dynamic clinical care teams should include clinical pharmacists, according to a position paper issued by the American College of Physicians (ACP) that covers professionalism, licensure and regulation, reimbursement and compensation, and research and measurement.

The ACP paper defined a clinical care team for a given patient as “the health professionals—physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, other registered nurses, physician assistants, clinical pharmacists, and other health care professionals—with the training and skills needed to provide high-quality, coordinated care specific to the patient’s clinical needs and circumstances.”

Clinical pharmacists were listed as members of dynamic clinical care teams throughout the paper. The appendix provided the following example of a clinical care team scenario: “An internist using a formal collaborative drug therapy management agreement with a clinical pharmacist refers a patient for ongoing medication management or decisions that meet jointly developed clinical goals of the care plan developed from the physician’s or team’s diagnostic workup and assessments. Achievement of medication-related goals is sustained or documented or revisions to the patient’s care plan or medication management are accomplished either through referral back to the physician or through collaboratively developed care plan adjustments.”

While we have more expansive thoughts on pharmacists’ roles, it's great to see that our colleagues in medicine see us as part of the team too.