Luis Lanz Featured in Drug Topics Article, Video on Expanding Clinical Role of Pharmacists
Luis Lanz, a Quarles & Brady partner in the Health & Life Sciences Practice Group, was featured in a Drug Topics article and video discussing how pharmacists are taking on bigger roles in the health sector by providing care like vaccines and other clinical services, not just filling prescriptions. However, they continue to face challenges related to reimbursement and varying state regulations.
An excerpt:
Pharmacists are playing an increasingly vital role in delivering clinical care beyond traditional dispensing. Luis Lanz, JD, a partner at Quarles & Brady, explores how that evolution is unfolding across the United States. He focuses on an expanded pharmacist scope of practice, particularly around immunizations, clinical services, and the ongoing challenge of reimbursement from pharmacy benefit managers [PBMs] and payers.
Immunizations are highlighted as the most widely adopted expansion of pharmacist responsibilities. Nearly every state now permits pharmacists to administer vaccines, and pharmacies already have the infrastructure, patient traffic, and public trust to deliver these services efficiently. Vaccines not only support public health, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also drive recurring patient engagement, increased foot traffic, and new opportunities to offer additional clinical services.
However, there’s a gap between the legal authority to provide care and actually getting paid for it. Many models still rely on cash pay because traditional reimbursement pathways are limited or inconsistent. To change this, pharmacies need to shift from a product-based narrative to a value-based narrative, supported by strong data, according to Lanz. Metrics such as improved medication adherence, reduced hospitalizations, better clinical outcomes, and overall cost savings are critical to persuading PBMs and local payers to reimburse pharmacists as providers.