ARLINGTON, Va. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in its monthly webcast during October, highlighted the pivotal role that is played by community pharmacy in improving patient health.

National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson commended the CDC for creating the webcast and for its effort to emphasize the key “and expanding” role that pharmacy plays in public health.

“As health care professionals, pharmacists serve an important role as part of a patient’s health care team, especially those with chronic conditions who look to their pharmacists not only for the dispensing of their much-needed medications but also [for advice on]how to take those medications correctly,” Anderson stated.

“Pharmacists are widely trusted and extremely valued by patients, making them uniquely positioned to provide patient care services amid the changing landscape of health care.”

The CDC’s “Public Health Grand Rounds” webcast, entitled “How pharmacists can improve our nation’s health,” highlighted the role of the pharmacist in the delivery of health care today and featured pharmacists from both pharmacy organizations and ­academia.

The pharmacists provided presentations demonstrating the role of the pharmacist in collaborative and team-based care models and showing how pharmacists can improve medication adherence for chronic patients.

CDC created the Grand Rounds webcasts to promote discussion of public health ­issues.