U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps pharmacists: making a difference in advancing the nation's health.

OBJECTIVE: To describe how U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) pharmacists serving in jobs that are normal for them, but considerably different than those found in the private sector, are making a difference in advancing the nation's health.
SUMMARY: Pharmacists who serve in the Commissioned Corps of PHS fill roles that are considerably different than their counterparts in the private sector. Their work takes them out from behind the counter and into the world. Pharmacy officers advance the health and safety of the nation by their involvement in the delivery of direct patient care to medically underserved people, national security, drug vigilance, research, and policy-making endeavors. PHS pharmacists fill essential public health leadership and service roles throughout the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and certain non-HHS federal agencies and programs. The Health Resources and Services Administration, National Institutes of Health, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Indian Health Service, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard are among the many federal agencies in which pharmacy officers are assigned.
CONCLUSION: In each setting, PHS pharmacists find traditional roles augmented with assignments and challenges that broaden the scope of their practice.