(NAPSA)—Nearly one-third of pharmacists across the country feel that the biggest change in the pharmacy industry compared to the previous generation is the growth and implementation of automated technologies, according to the Next-Generation Pharmacist Profile. The study, conducted by 360 Intelligent Marketing, aimed at understanding the direction of the pharmacy industry and surveyed pharmacists nationwide. The pharmacists were asked what changes they foresaw for the future of the industry and 26 percent thought they would spend greater time consulting and caring for patients in the coming years. This could potentially be attributed to the aging population and its anticipated effect on health care, putting greater emphasis on the need to closely manage medications. In addition, half of the respondents indicated that these future changes in consulting and other areas would require the use of automation. They see automation as a tool that enables pharmacists to enhance their consultative roles. Fifty-five percent of respondents indicated that as pharmacists, they most enjoy speaking with patients, but feel that they have the least amount of time to do so. The majority chose this specific career path because of their desire to help others. The annual study was commissioned by Parata Systems, a leader in pharmacy automation that allows pharmacists to be “out in front” of the counter and consulting with patients. Automation can help pharma- cists spend more time getting to knowtheir patients’ needs. “What’s most fascinating about these survey results is that there is so little time for consulting with patients—despite it being one of the most important aspects of a pharmacist’s job, in addition to being their favorite,” said Parata Systems CEO Tom Rhoads. “Automation helps to streamline workflow and increase efficiencies in pharmacies so that pharmacists can spendless time counting pills and more time with patients. In turn, medication errors are re- duced significantly through robotic dispensing.” Survey respondents included pharmacists from every setting including regional and national chains, independent or community pharmacies, long-term care facilities, health systems and institutions, and Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs pharmacies. For more information on the Next-Generation Pharmacist program, please visit www.next generationpharmacist.com, or visit www.parata.com to learn more about Parata Systems.
