Key Summary
- 67% of surveyed respondents reported they are not actively involved in local healthcare neighborhood discussions.
- An additional 17% stated they are not yet integrated but explicitly desire a seat at the table.
- Only 17% feel actively engaged, revealing a stark disconnect between policy intentions and on-the-ground execution.
Community pharmacists are being left out of local healthcare neighborhood discussions, according to the latest Pharmacy Business poll.
The recent LinkedIn poll shows a substantial roadblock in the integration of primary care services, as 67% respondents felt community pharmacists are left out of local healthcare neighborhood discussions.
As health systems accelerate their shift toward local integration models and collaborative neighborhood care teams, the findings point to a worrying omission.
Frontline pharmacists are often the most accessible point of contact for patients, yet their clinical insights and operational capabilities are largely being overlooked during strategic regional planning.
The data indicates that the exclusion is not due to a lack of interest from the sector. Alongside the small minority (17%) who feel actively involved, another 17% expressed a clear desire to participate, stating they want to be included but have not yet been invited to the table.
This means an overwhelming 84% of respondents are currently operating outside the loop of localised healthcare network discussions.
Industry leaders warn that omitting community pharmacy from early-stage neighborhood strategies threatens to repeat past healthcare rollout failures where frontline workflows were ignored.
Several MPs had lauded the role played by community pharmacies in the healthcare sector and also expressed concern regarding the recent closures of pharmacies.
