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Pharmacists are Among the Most Trusted Professions

A new study by the Gallup corporation ranks pharmacists among the most trusted professions, citing the many ways in which community pharmacists can better assist patients, offer more solutions, advise on cost-saving alternatives, and help in curbing national crises like the opioid epidemic.

Gallup holds an annual survey, ranking professions in terms of their honesty and ethical standards. This year’s December 21 survey found again that health-related professionals of all sorts are generally high on the list, and this year filled the top three spots. Compared to doctors, pharmacists ranked only one percentage point behind — holding strong in the third place. Gallup cites that pharmacists serve as the face of neighborhood healthcare, and we couldn’t agree more. Particularly independent pharmacies, we believe pharmacists are a part of a triad of patient care: doctors, pharmacists, and patients.

It’s not just patients who ask for advice from pharmacists on medication side-effects and which over-the-counter solutions are best for their symptoms, but in a world in which prescription drug prices are rising to untenable levels, insurance companies and PBMs determine the consumer cost of medications, and pharmaceutical companies continue to market their products directly to consumers, policymakers in Washington also look to pharmacists as a neutral arbiter on such matters.

Pharmacists also play a role in curbing the opioid epidemic that sweeps the nation and the world. While physicians continue to prescribe opioid medications at alarming rates, new laws are placing tighter restrictions on how many opioid pain pills a doctor can prescribe at a time. And it’s pharmacies who look to national databases and assess patients likelihood of abuse who are at the forefront of lowering the rate of opioid dependence.

The Gallup survey also cites other roles pharmacists can fill to address the health needs of their patients. Having more contact with patients in between doctor’s visits, along with the knowledge of a patient’s prescription history, pharmacists can offer medication management support, and also look for interactions between drugs that physicians might miss when prescribing. Not only can pharmacists offer medication management solutions, but they can recommend over-the-counter supplements that reduce the effects of drug-induced nutrient depletion caused by certain medications or classes of medications.

With a new law signed into action by the current administration, gag clauses have also been lifted from pharmacists, enabling them to tell patients when lower prices are available. Previously, pharmacists were not allowed to tell patients when they could get medications at lower costs without using insurance, because of strict prohibition and risk of losing out on contracts from Pharmacy Benefit Managers. Now that the gag clause has been lifted, pharmacists will be trusted even more when it comes to providing advice on cost-saving alternatives.

Here’s What the Gallup Survey Says:

Pharmacists Remain Strong in Gallup Honesty, Ethics Survey

NACDS emphasizes that trust at the pharmacy counter leads to trust as a partner in public policy solutions

December 21, 2018

ARLINGTON, VA — Pharmacists rank third in Gallup’s 2018 survey of honesty and ethical standards, maintaining their consistently strong showing in the annual measure of diverse professions.

Health-related professions swept the top three, with nurses ranking first and medical doctors ranking second – just one percentage point ahead of pharmacists.

“We want to thank pharmacists for their trusted work as the face of neighborhood healthcare, which is reflected consistently in Gallup’s survey,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “Just as Americans walk into their pharmacies for access to quality care, policymakers turn to these professionals for advice on pressing issues. These issues include addressing the opioid abuse epidemic, reducing patients’ out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, and improving access to care through newer pharmacist-provided services.”

Gallup’s results are consistent with findings of a 2018 survey conducted by Morning Consult and commissioned by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS). In the Morning Consult survey, 82 percent of respondents indicated a favorable opinion of their pharmacist and 90 percent said pharmacies are easy to access.

The Morning Consult survey also found that 83 percent say pharmacists provide credible information for saving money on prescriptions; that three-in-four agree with NACDS-backed public policy solutions for the opioid-abuse epidemic; and that between eight-in-ten and nine-in-ten agree that Medicare patients should be able to obtain various healthcare services from their pharmacists – including health tests, vaccinations and help with managing illnesses like diabetes.

Anderson noted, “In 2018, Congress passed, and the President signed, legislation that will help pharmacists provide even more assistance to patients in saving money on prescription drugs. The year also saw the enactment of opioid-abuse-prevention legislation, which includes aspects of NACDS’ public policy recommendations that are based on pharmacists’ insights from the front lines of care. NACDS looks forward to working with policymakers at the federal and state levels in 2019 to achieve further progress on complex issues affecting the health and wellness of all Americans.” You can find the original press release here.

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