Pharmacists

Pharmacist's Role in Healthcare

Pharmacists are some of the most accessible healthcare professionals. When it comes to helping patients manage chronic diseases pharmacists have an important part to play. They are the medication experts. Pharmacists

• Help patients find the right medication, or combination of medications, for them
• Support medication adherence
• Identify negative medication interactions or adherence issues and communicate this information to the healthcare team
• Work with patients to understand their disease and the importance of taking their medications.

You can read more about the evidence behind expanding the role pharmacists play in our Fact Sheet (PDF).

Pharmacy Environmental Scan: EPICC staff interviewed seventeen pharmacist and health plan representatives  In addition we sent a survey to all licensed Utah pharmacists. You can read the full report here: UDOH Environmental Scan of Clinical Pharmacy Report (PDF).

Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network Kick-off: We are inviting engaged pharmacists to get involved in developing a Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (PESN) in Utah. This is a chance to work together and expand opportunities for pharmacists to care for patients and develop compensation models for doing so. You can find a flyer with additional information here.

We're organizing a kick-off meeting for Tuesday, September 13th from 8 AM to 11 AM at Intermountain Healthcare Employee Service Center at 5245 College Dr. Murray, UT. A light breakfast will be provided. The purpose of the PESN Kick-Off is to discuss strategies for implementing a network of pharmacies that can provide "enhanced services", or services that transcend conventional requirements of an outpatient pharmacy program and are focused on improving clinical care and global patient outcomes. By working together as a network that spans the state and administers and markets services centrally we hope to create new funding models.

Ashley Branham, PharmD, BCACP, who has been integral to developing a North Carolina Network, will be the keynote speaker. This is an exciting opportunity to learn more about PESNs from someone who has extensive experience and figure out how you can get involved.

Seating is limited to the first 50 people, so don't wait, register today!

If you have any questions please contact Teresa Roark

September 13th Kickoff Documents

This is the agenda from the Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network Kickoff meeting on September 13th.

This is the presentation given by Ashley Branham, PharmD at the September 13th Kickoff meeting.

This is a description of the workgroups formed at the meeting.

Pharmacy – to – Treat Program: EPICC is working with multiple health systems to expand the role that pharmacists play on health care teams and build sustainable referral systems between pharmacies and evidence based chronic disease self-management workshops (Living Well with Diabetes Self-Management Program and Living Well with Chronic Conditions Self-Management Program). Current and past partners include:

• SelectHealth – Referring patients with uncontrolled hypertension to a pharmacist. The pharmacist is able to order labs and make medication adjustments based on an agreed upon protocol. They follow up with the patient every two to four weeks until they achieve their blood pressure goal. You can find an evaluation of the initial pilot here.
• University of Utah – Using an Electronic Medical Record and reporting system to identify a population of patients who would likely benefit from pharmacist care and proactively recruiting them to participate, establishing a shared medical appointment for patients with diabetes and hypertension, and developing an Electronic Medical Record dashboard to support pharmacist and physician collaboration
• Utah Navajo Health System – Referring patients with diabetes to pharmacist care, providing education and support for taking medications as recommended, and developing a referral system for evidence based chronic disease self-management classes.