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Kyle Robb, Primary care must transform, American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, Volume 82, Issue 8, 15 April 2025, Pages 387–388, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxaf014
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As expert members of the ASHP Commission on Goals convened to analyze challenges and opportunities in primary care delivery, patients and providers find themselves at a crossroads. The percentage of Americans without health insurance is at an all-time low—only 7.9% of the US population was uninsured in 2023, a notable decline from 2013 when the uninsurance rate was nearly 15%.1 During the COVID-19 public health emergency, nearly all forms of health insurance were required to broadly cover primary care services delivered via telehealth—coverage that largely remains in place today. Similarly, healthcare providers in general have rapidly improved their capacity for virtual care delivery since 2020.
And yet, a recent study by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) estimates that over 100 million Americans lack access to primary care—a figure that has nearly doubled since 2014.2 According to NACHC, access continues to worsen due to a nationwide primary care provider shortage that is driven by increased medical specialization and an uneven distribution of providers. The overall proportion of physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), and physician assistants (PAs) working in primary care continues to steadily decrease.
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