Health systems are rethinking how they structure and support their pharmacy teams, and the results are showing. Across the country, pharmacy leaders are implementing workforce changes to improve care delivery and drive greater operational efficiency.
Here are responses from three pharmacy leaders who were asked: What is one change your health system has made to your pharmacy workforce model that has made a meaningful impact?
Jeffrey Akers, PharmD. Vice President of Pharmacy at UC Health (Cincinnati): Executive leadership has made several significant commitments to the UC Health Pharmacy family; however, the one change that has had the most impact on our workforce has been the investment of improved staffing numbers throughout the pharmacy enterprise. We have seen significant growth in pharmacist, technician, and support staff throughout all sectors and areas of practice of UC Health Pharmacy, including hospital, clinical, retail, specialty, informatics, infusion, medication access, ambulatory care, education/residency, research and corporate/shared service teams.
Through our exponential expansion over the last three years, we have been able to provide substantial advances in clinical patient care, expansion of operations, newly opened pharmacy operations, higher level of provider support, and improved financial performance. Additionally, because these investments in staff are real and palpable, our applicant pool for net new positions has increased markedly, and our employee turnover rate has been decreased by nearly half. When I started at UC Health in 2022, one of my “taglines” was that “pharmacy is a good investment.” Because of the hard work and commitment of our pharmacy leaders and their teams, our executive leadership team has continued to re-invest in pharmacy which continues to snowball our success to even greater heights.
John Armitstead. Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Lee Health (Fort Myers, Fla.): One impactful change our health system has made to our pharmacy workforce model is the strategic deployment of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to enhance transitions of care, particularly at key patient touchpoints. Pharmacy technicians now lead the collection of accurate prior-to-admission medication histories at the point of entry, allowing pharmacists to focus on clinical review and reconciliation. Pharmacists conduct targeted patient education to ensure understanding and confidence in self-administration of medications, reducing readmissions and improving adherence.
This team-based approach is further strengthened by a robust “meds to beds” program, where pharmacists verify discharge prescriptions and technicians facilitate bedside delivery and counseling prior to discharge. This integrated model has significantly improved medication safety, continuity of care and patient satisfaction.
Chance Partlow. Director of Pharmacy Supply Chain at Advocate Health/Atrium Health (Charlotte, N.C.): One of the most impactful changes we’ve made to our pharmacy workforce model has been the strategic expansion of centralized pharmacy supply chain services to optimize resources and eliminate duplicative responsibilities. A prime example of this is the extension of centralized purchasing across the pharmacy enterprise, which has streamlined procurement processes, reduced product variability and enhanced compliance with system-level supply chain and contracting initiatives.
In parallel, we have reinforced our commitment to optimizing distribution by opening an Integrated Services Center in Charlotte, N.C., in 2026 that will primarily focus on central fill and repackaging for our North Carolina hospitals and ambulatory clinics. This investment is designed to shift labor-intensive distribution responsibilities away from hospitals, enabling local pharmacy teams to redirect their focus toward patient care.
Together, we expect these initiatives to synergistically improve operational efficiency, strengthen financial stewardship, and foster a more agile, sustainable workforce model that can scale to meet the evolving demands of patient-centered pharmacy care.
