A pharmacist in a white lab coat consults with a patient, holding a clipboard and speaking attentively. They are in a modern pharmacy setting, with medication shelves visible in the background. Colorful abstract graphics overlay the image, symbolizing innovation and access in healthcare.
Report

Advancing Health Through Expanded Access to Pharmacy-Based Care

Professional headshot of Athena Roesler, a woman with medium-length curly brown hair and glasses, wearing a light blue blouse with buttons. She is smiling and posed against a dark gray background.

Athena Rae Roesler

Director, Public Health, Milken Institute Health
Athena Rae Roesler is a director on the Public Health team at Milken Institute Health, where she leads a portfolio of work focused on prevention and chronic disease.
Professional headshot of Anna Lin-Schweitzer, a woman with long dark brown hair and a wide smile, wearing a navy top and gold hoop earrings. She is posed against a dark gray background.

Anna Lin-Schweitzer

Associate Director, Feeding Change, Milken Institute Health
Anna Lin-Schweitzer is an associate director with Feeding Change at the Milken Institute. She leads the portfolio's Food Is Medicine (FIM) research, which addresses critical gaps in the FIM ecosystem by advancing policies and actionable solutions to integrate nutrition into health care.
Professional headshot of Julia Hesse-Fong, a woman with long dark hair, wearing a white blouse and gold hoop earrings. She is smiling gently with arms crossed, set against a dark gray background.

Julia Hesse-Fong

Senior Associate, Feeding Change, Milken Institute Health
Julia Hesse-Fong is a senior associate with Feeding Change at the Milken Institute. Before joining the Milken Institute, she completed her Master of Science (MS) in agriculture, food, and environment with a concentration in sustainability and strategy in food systems and business.
Professional headshot of Sarah Wells Kocsis, a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and glasses, wearing a turquoise dress. She is smiling with arms crossed and posed against a dark gray background.

Sarah Wells Kocsis

Senior Director, Public Health
Sarah Wells Kocsis is a senior director at the Milken Institute. She oversees the Public Health programmatic pillar which focuses on mental health, prevention, chronic disease, infrastructure, and health equity, and also is responsible for day-to-day operations.
Topics
Health
Health Care Delivery
Health Equity
Public Health
Log in or create a free account to download
Download Report

As the health system evolves to meet rising demand while grappling with workforce shortages, pharmacies are well-positioned to play a greater role in delivering high-quality, community-based care. Despite their accessibility and the effectiveness of highly trained pharmacists, the US health system lacks sustainable mechanisms to integrate pharmacy-based health-care services at scale. Realizing this potential will require modernizing reimbursement models, improving coordination across the system, and creating clearer pathways for service integration.

Advancing Health Through Expanded Access to Pharmacy-Based Care outlines a path forward to better integrate pharmacist-provided health-care services into the broader health ecosystem. The report presents actionable strategies to support scalable, sustainable access by redefining the value of pharmacy-based care, aligning on priority service areas where pharmacists can make the greatest impact, and strengthening the evidence base for broader adoption. It identifies 13 priority services centered on chronic disease prevention and management, mental and behavioral health, and reproductive and sexual health that build on existing pharmacy workflows and address pressing public health needs. 

By addressing reimbursement, infrastructure, and policy challenges, stakeholders across the health system can unlock pharmacies’ ability to deliver more coordinated and impactful care to improve the health of communities nationwide.
 

Interactive Pharmacist Prescriptive Authority Explorer Map

This interactive map compiles detailed information on the current patchwork of pharmacy-based health-care service authorities across the United States. It highlights opportunities for service expansion and advocacy while illustrating the fragmented nature of the pharmacist prescriptive authority policy environment. To view prescriptive authority for a particular service, click on the drop-down menu and select the service of interest. Click on a specific state of interest to view the relevant source.

The information presented in this map is for informational purposes only and reflects the authority landscape as of July 2025. It should not be construed as, or relied upon, for legal advice or guidance. Please consult your attorney regarding the content or interpretation of the information provided prior to use.

Related Content