Pharmacists are subject to licensure and certification laws that vary in each state. A key distinction among states is whether laws recognize pharmacists as health care providers (Figure 1) in addition to their roles as dispensers of pharmaceuticals. This recognition allows pharmacists to directly bill a third-party payer for medication therapy management and, depending on the state, potentially provide some direct care services to patients: Designated as provider and Not designated as a provider.
This report discusses different state approaches to recognizing pharmacists as providers along with pharmacists’ ability to be paid for certain services.
