New Schools are a Good Thing Ya'll, Say Hello to Your PP

[ohiopharmacist1]

Here's how I see the next 15 years playing out.

1a) Decreased demand for traditional pharmacist reaches a breaking point. At this stage new pharmacy grads are pissed and come together to put pressure on pharmacy organization to find solution.

1b) At a similar trajectory, increasing numbers switch from traditional health plans to high-deductible HSA plans, because of tax benefits and control of money in the hands of the insured. These plans encourage preventative care resulting in increased demand for ambulatory care but decreased ER visits and hospital censuses.

1c) Another trend: Medical students gravitating away from family care and more towards higher paying specialties. This leaves a gap as the demand for primary care increases.

2) Pharmacy Schools start to feel the pressure of their pissed alums and also start seeing more $$$ when they come up with the perfect solution: The Pharmacist Practitioner. It will be a 2 year certification program on top of your PharmD and will allow pharmacists to function similar to existing Advanced Care Providers.

3) Pharmacist Practitioners collectively hang head and sob upon receiving the scarlet letters "PP."

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[PharFromNormal]

Not following... Is this a pgy2?

 

[confettiflyer]

#2 is already reality in California, yo. Except the designation is "APP" not "ACP" and instead of a 2 year post-PharmD certificate, it's PGY-1 + BCPS that can get you the designation within minimum ~16 months assuming you take the fall BPS exam post accredited PGY-1.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Here's how I see the next 15 years playing out.

Interesting thoughts, I think its unlikely to pan out the way you imagine, but you are right, nobody really knows, and it may not be all gloom and doom.

1a) Decreased demand for traditional pharmacist reaches a breaking point. At this stage new pharmacy grads are pissed and come together to put pressure on pharmacy organization to find solution.

This one is a long shot. Lawyers (who are experts at writing laws!) have not come up with a plan to answer their massive unemployment/underemployment, due in part, to decreased demand for their services.

1b) At a similar trajectory, increasing numbers switch from traditional health plans to high-deductible HSA plans, because of tax benefits and control of money in the hands of the insured. These plans encourage preventative care resulting in increased demand for ambulatory care but decreased ER visits and hospital censuses.

Say what? 2 problems, one, that assumes the majority of people will actually understand how their insurance work. That is a big assumption, given how many people don't understand which retail pharmacies are in their network, what their co-pays are, what their deductible is (or that they even have a deductible!), etc. No, I predict patients will still keep going to ER for their colds, body lice, whatever, and then throw a fit when they get the bill, saying they had no idea an ER visit would cost that much, or that their insurance wouldn't cover it. Second, preventative care encouraged or not, people will still overreact to getting a cold or a hangnail, and will still go to ER, because they consider anything that makes them feel less than ideal, a "true emergency", and they don't want no half-way professional helping them, they want "the best", so off to the emergency room they go.

1c) Another trend: Medical students gravitating away from family care and more towards higher paying specialties. This leaves a gap as the demand for primary care increases.

Nope, NP's & PA's already have this well covered. Even NP's are starting to complain of saturation in certain urban areas. The gap is, and always will be in, in the places where nobody wants to live (and no, pharmacists aren't going to up and move to those areas either.)

2) Pharmacy Schools start to feel the pressure of their pissed alums and also start seeing more $$$ when they come up with the perfect solution: The Pharmacist Practitioner. It will be a 2 year certification program on top of your PharmD and will allow pharmacists to function similar to existing Advanced Care Providers.

A long shot, but the most viable suggestion you've had. The problem are that the very strong nurses groups will fight this, they don't want any more competition with NP's. Not to mention.....how is a 2 year certification program any different than PA programs which require a bachelors as a prerequisite to their 2 year long programs (in other words, pharmacist already CAN become practitioners in 2 years by going to PA school.)

3) Pharmacist Practitioners collectively hang head and sob upon receiving the scarlet letters "PP."

Well, undoubtedly that will happen here on SDN....

 

[PharmDCandidate2014]

PP vs. NP vs. PA

That's an interesting clash in the works.

The PP is still most vulnerable to the swings in the economic market if push comes to shove.

All this volatility and uncertainty facing us, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a huge enrollment increase in faith-based congregations! After all, those of us that don't make it will need that slither of hope to desperately hang onto...

 

[rederza]

On a roll aren't you?

I guess though all that weight off you must feel pretty damn good. Sell me your DAT stuff when you're done.

OT: Even our professors are saying we better start networking because "jobs are hard to find." I'd compare this to the titanic but it's been done.


edit: sorry i totally meant this for pharmD candidate.oops.

 

[rederza]

PP vs. NP vs. PA

That's an interesting clash in the works.

The PP is still most vulnerable to the swings in the economic market if push comes to shove.

All this volatility and uncertainty facing us, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a huge enrollment increase in faith-based congregations! After all, those of us that don't make it will need that slither of hope to desperately hang onto...

that was actually for you haha.

 

[PharmDCandidate2014]

On a roll aren't you?

I guess though all that weight off you must feel pretty damn good. Sell me your DAT stuff when you're done.

OT: Even our professors are saying we better start networking because "jobs are hard to find." I'd compare this to the titanic but it's been done.

Yep, the ship is sinking fast. The ones on a lifeboat are those that graduated before 2010. I guess the really pretty grads still have a shot to get their spot on the boat!

 

[PharmDCandidate2014]

that was actually for you haha.

And PM me around March/April to see how I did with the DAT! Hell, if I do well, I'll give you the sweetest deal possible.

 

[rederza]

And PM me around March/April to see how I did with the DAT! Hell, if I do well, I'll give you the sweetest deal possible.

assuming I survive that long. End of semester never seemed so far away....