{"id":56277,"date":"2026-06-12T18:19:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T22:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/?p=56277"},"modified":"2026-06-12T19:32:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T23:32:47","slug":"expanding-the-role-of-pharmacists-in-chronic-disease-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/2026\/06\/12\/expanding-the-role-of-pharmacists-in-chronic-disease-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Expanding the Role of Pharmacists in Chronic Disease Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

Expanding the Role of Pharmacists in Chronic Disease Care<\/h1>

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease remain among the leading causes of illness and death worldwide. Managing these conditions often requires lifelong treatment, complex medication regimens and ongoing monitoring.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Apply site-wide<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

As health care systems search for ways to improve outcomes and reduce costs, pharmacists are increasingly recognized as key members of patient care teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the University of Rhode Island, Joseph Nardolillo, Pharm.D.<\/a>, assistant professor, is helping advance this shift in care. A board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist, he focuses on improving medication management and chronic disease outcomes through pharmacist-led care in outpatient settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through clinical research, direct patient care and pharmacy education, his work demonstrates how pharmacists can improve the quality, safety and effectiveness of healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improving care in outpatient settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ambulatory care includes services delivered outside of hospitals, such as primary care clinics, specialty clinics and community health centers. For many patients with chronic conditions, these settings are the primary point of contact with the health care system. Community pharmacies also serve as important access points for both acute and chronic medication needs.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“Through research, clinical practice and education, Nardolillo’s work reflects an evolving vision for pharmacy \u2014 one in which pharmacists serve as integral members of care teams, helping improve outcomes and strengthen the health of communities.”<\/blockquote>Joseph Nardolillo, Pharm.D.<\/cite><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

Nardolillo\u2019s work examines how pharmacists contribute to care teams in these environments. With specialized training in pharmacotherapy, pharmacists can optimize medication regimens, identify potential drug interactions and monitor patient responses to treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In collaborative care models, pharmacists work alongside physicians, nurses and other health care professionals to help patients achieve better disease control. These teams can adjust medications, track treatment effectiveness and support patients in managing their conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research shows that pharmacist involvement in ambulatory care settings can improve cholesterol and blood pressure control, enhance diabetes management and reduce preventable hospitalizations, particularly among patients facing barriers to care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, Nardolillo established the Innovation in Medication, Practice, and Care Transformation Lab, or IMPACT Lab, to support research focused on improving population health by expanding access to appropriate and effective medications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing challenges in medication management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For many patients, managing chronic disease involves taking multiple medications over long periods. These regimens can be difficult to follow, especially when dosing schedules, side effects and drug interactions vary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nardolillo\u2019s research focuses on strategies that help patients manage these therapies safely and effectively. Through pharmacist-led consultations, he works to improve patient understanding and confidence in following treatment plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These consultations may include reviewing medication schedules, discussing side effects and identifying ways to simplify regimens when possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improving medication adherence is critical in conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. When medications are not taken as prescribed, patients face increased risks of complications, including heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By supporting patients in managing their medications, pharmacists can help reduce these risks and improve long-term outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nardolillo also collaborates with partners across Rhode Island, New England and the United States to study patient perspectives on pharmacy services and gather insight from pharmacy professionals. This research helps inform how services can be implemented, scaled and supported through health care policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Advancing team-based care<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Modern health care increasingly relies on interdisciplinary teams to address complex patient needs. Nardolillo\u2019s work highlights how pharmacists strengthen these teams by providing expertise in medication management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In ambulatory care settings, pharmacists are often highly accessible providers who can answer patient questions, monitor treatment progress and communicate with physicians about medication adjustments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This collaborative model improves coordination and allows care teams to address issues earlier, before they lead to more serious complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As health care systems move toward value-based models that emphasize outcomes and prevention, pharmacist-led care is becoming an increasingly important component of patient-centered care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparing the next generation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to his research, Nardolillo plays a key role in educating future pharmacists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through classroom instruction and experiential learning, he helps students develop skills in patient-centered care, evidence-based decision-making and interdisciplinary collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also works with partners across Rhode Island, including Brown University, the Rhode Island Nursing Education Center and local public school systems, to increase awareness of pharmacy careers among students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These efforts highlight the wide range of clinical and research opportunities available in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strengthening the future of care<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As chronic diseases continue to place growing demands on health care systems, improving medication management and preventive care will remain essential. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to support these efforts. Their expertise allows them to help patients safely manage medications while working closely with other providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through research, clinical practice and education, Nardolillo\u2019s work reflects an evolving vision for pharmacy \u2014 one in which pharmacists serve as integral members of care teams, helping improve outcomes and strengthen the health of communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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RhodyRx – Research, Innovation & Impact<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

We have some exciting news… the newest issue of RhodyRx is here!<\/p>\n\n\nVIew the Full report<\/a>\n<\/article><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As health care systems search for ways to improve outcomes and reduce costs, pharmacists are increasingly recognized as key members of patient care teams. At the University of Rhode Island, Joseph Nardolillo, Pharm.D., assistant professor, is helping advance this shift in care. A board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist, he focuses on improving medication management and chronic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":639,"featured_media":56157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1299,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-report-2026","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/639"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56277"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56338,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56277\/revisions\/56338"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pharmacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}