Should Pharmacists Bill Insurances for Services?

Should pharmacists be able to bill insurances for services they perform?  I think that they should.  Pharmacists aren't just pill pushers who are like robots where all they do is count to 30 and stick a label on the bottle.  We are more than that.  The schooling we go through is pretty intense.  We don't just learn about the drugs and how it affects the body, they make us learn about the disease it treats and how to disease manifests.  We learn the tests that need to be done to diagnose them.  We also learn how to treat certain things both pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically.

Yes, I understand we don't learn how to do certain procedures, like drain an abscess and suture a wound, but for many common things, we are just as knowledgeable as the common doctor.  When I've gone to my primary doctor and I look at the breakdown of the bill, I see that I get charged for pretty much everything.  Some doctors just bill an overall "physical" for a flat fee, but others itemize it and break down the individual procedures.  Blood pressure check, $X.  Temperature check, $X, etc.  People often bypass going to the doctor's and come to the pharmacist to see if he or she can recommend something to them.

In my school, we were taught how to do these basic things, blood pressure, blood sugar, mini mental status exam, reflexes, diabetic neuropathy, etc.  Pharmacies don't offer these services because we don't get reimbursed for them.  As an independent pharmacist, I would be willing to offer these services in order to get people in my door an away from the chains.  They take enough business as it is with them being "preferred" pharmacies, offering $4 90 day supplies, and mandatory mail order.  Vaccinations is a great first step for people to realize that pharmacists are more than just a person with a spatula and an empty bottle.