Can COVID-19 Help to Shape the Future of the Pharmacy Profession?

Months ago, if someone had told me that I would be wrapping up the last month of P2 year taking exams and attending lectures from my bedroom at home, 40 minutes away from the COP, I would have thought that they were absolutely crazy. While the changes that I have experienced in the last month are nothing compared to others who have faced the effects from the COVID-19 pandemic directly, these past few weeks have taught me just how fast and abruptly life can change. The changes that have occurred worldwide in response to the pandemic have altered the lives of millions, but they have also taught us many lessons: one of which is shedding light on how vital the pharmacy profession is to the healthcare field. But, why is it that it took a time of crisis for this to occur?

Pharmacists hold a special role in the healthcare field in the sense that they are one of which, if not the, most accessible healthcare professionals.  They are the medication experts that provide education, counseling, and recommendations to their patients, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals, yet they are still fighting and advocating for the advancement of the profession. From major pharmacy organizations, to our own classmates, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided the opportunity for various groups and individuals to advocate for the pharmacists and the profession as a whole. Highlighting the ways that pharmacists currently serve as frontline responders and how their duties can be extended to further provide care to patients during the pandemic is demonstrating how impactful pharmacists are as healthcare providers. 

On March 25, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-25, which extended the duties of pharmacists in the COVID-19 pandemic. Until April 22, 2020, pharmacists have the ability to dispense emergency prescription refills for up to a 60-day supply. The order also allows pharmacists to substitute therapeutically equivalent non-controlled medications without the approval of a prescriber, given the event of a shortage. I understand that measures like this are taken in a time of crisis to utilize all available resources, however if pharmacists are known and capable of performing these duties, why is it that their ability to do so is limited to the time of an executive order and not beyond that? 

Resources:

https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/0,9309,7-387-90499_90705-523301--,00.html