LTC pharmacies are rising and supporting America’s most vulnerable patients 

DATE: June 16, 2026

By Esmé Grewal / President and CEO of the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC)

Every day, long-term care pharmacies safely prepare, deliver and manage the medications some of our nation’s most vulnerable patients depend on to live healthy, stable and independent lives. Their work often happens behind the scenes, but for families navigating complex care needs, the impact is impossible to miss.

As I stepped into the role of President and CEO of the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC), I did so with a deep sense of purpose and a personal understanding of that reality.

I grew up with a brother and sister with developmental disabilities, and that experience directly shaped the way I see caregiving, healthcare and dignity. Like so many families caring for loved ones with significant medical needs, mine spent years coordinating medications, doctor appointments, therapies, Medicare and Medicaid payers, and the countless moving pieces required to keep them healthy and safe.

If you get the medications right, it can change everything, but the reverse is certainly true as well.

From an early age, I understood that medication management is about far more than just dispensing prescriptions. It is foundational to a patient’s safety, stability, independence and quality of life. Over the years, I’ve seen the good, the mediocre and, unfortunately, the bad of the healthcare system. But LTC pharmacies are a bright line.

Multiple studies have recognized that expert medication management reduces costs and can improve quality of life, and that LTC pharmacies are equipped to address this nationally. 

The impact of LTC pharmacies

Most people do not realize that LTC pharmacies are not your traditional neighborhood drugstores. They are pharmacies that are closed to the general public (often operating in business parks and industrial districts) and that provide specialized, around-the-clock clinical support and enhanced medication management for our nation’s most medically vulnerable people: seniors in nursing homes and assisted living communities, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and patients managing chronic illnesses and highly complex medication regimens.

Medications are not simply dispensed but included in a whole set of clinical wraparound services and delivered directly to a patient in their long-term care setting.

In speaking with our LTC pharmacy members across the country, I’ve heard stories that rarely make headlines but say everything about the role these providers play.

I’ve heard about pharmacies serving assisted living facilities more than 150 miles away. I’ve spoken with pharmacists supporting group homes for individuals with disabilities despite reimbursement systems that fail to recognize the full scope of their services. And I’ve heard from pharmacy teams spending hours reviewing medication combinations for medically complex patients taking 25 or more drugs to identify dangerous interactions and keep patients safe.

They do this work not because the system rewards it, but because patients depend on it.

That commitment defines LTC pharmacy. These providers are deeply invested in patient outcomes, dignity and safety, often serving as an invisible infrastructure managing care for medically fragile Americans.

But if we want these pharmacies to continue delivering high-quality care, we must solve a major visibility problem. Too few people understand the full scope of services LTC pharmacies provide and the critical role they play in preventing medication errors, reducing hospitalizations and improving patient outcomes.

Meeting the moment

America’s population is aging rapidly, and more individuals are living longer and need to manage chronic conditions and increasingly complex medication needs. At the same time, care is expanding across settings, whether it is nursing homes, assisted living communities, home- and community-based settings, or other models designed to support patients where they are.

The demand for coordinated, specialized pharmacy care has never been greater. And LTC pharmacies are uniquely equipped to meet this moment.

My mission is to help change that narrative. SCPC will continue working with Congress and the Administration to advance policies that strengthen access to specialized LTC pharmacy services while elevating the stories of pharmacists, caregivers and patients whose lives are impacted by this critically important work every day.

LTC pharmacies are rising in importance, innovation and impact because the need for them has never been greater. Sharing the story of the great work these pharmacies do every day gives me tremendous optimism about the future and confidence that more people will come to recognize just how essential they are to patient care in America.

Read the full article on McKnights here.