The pharmacist's guide to the future: Are we there yet?

The future of community pharmacy has always been a matter of concern for academics and practitioners alike. Recently, a paper published in this Journal brought to the discussion the importance of new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, and the emergence of market forces like Amazon or Google, to the future of the pharmacy profession. In this commentary, we offer our view about the subject, specifically focusing in the practice area of Community Pharmacy. Our choice takes into account the fact that this by far the most numerous group within the profession, and where the fear of redundancy has always been looming since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Envisioned technologies will become a reality, but by now are not mature enough to be the disrupters everyone expects. Moreover, without major shifts in the legal environment regulating the organization of health care and the provision of medicines, big players will find it difficult to substitute pharmacies. As for pharmacists, they have always adapted to the challenges presented by technological revolutions. We argue that for the coming Patient Centred era, it is more important to continue to focus on the sustainability of an enhanced role for community pharmacists, providing services that highlight pharmacists' social role, measuring outcomes, and managing populations’ health.