New Insights into the Commission

The title for the final report of the Study Commission on Pharmacy, Pharmacists for the Future, reflects both the work and the workings of the Commission over the two years that it was in existence. The title was chosen late in the very last meeting of the Commission. The discussion recalled that this was a citizens’ commission that would report its findings not only to pharmacy educators and the profession but also to the entire health care system, including its users. The title selected for the report said it all. It communicated the need to look forward rather than backward and broadly signaled that this work was not just for pharmacists but rather for all interested in health care delivery. Once suggested, the title was immediately accepted by the individual Commission members. The common insights gained during the two years that the Commission met helped the members develop a shared vision of two things: what a profession could contribute to societal good and the belief that their report could help achieve that goal.