Pharmacists in Primary Care Workbook
Amanda G. Kennedy, PharmD, BCPS
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Vermont
Office of Primary Care
amanda.kennedy@uvm.edu
Michael A. Biddle, Jr., PharmD, BCPS
Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
michael.biddle@acphs.edu
What is this workbook and why was it created?
This workbook is a collection of practical strategies and examples that promote the successful integration of pharmacists with primary care practices. The strategies resulted from the Medication Management Pilot Study to evaluate the integration of pharmacists with Vermont patient-centered medical homes, funded by a Vermont Department of Health grant to The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont.
Where can I find more details about the Medication Management Pilot Study?
The results of the project have been published in the journal, Population Health Management.
Kennedy AG, Chen H, Corriveau M, MacLean CD. Improving Population Management through Pharmacist-Primary Care Integration: A Pilot Study. Popul Health Manag. 2014 Jul 16. [Epub] PMID: 25029631
Key findings from the study:
Pharmacists were partnered into five Vermont primary care practices, one-day per week, to provide direct patient care, population-based medication management, and prescriber education. The pharmacists identified 708 drug therapy problems through direct patient care (336/708; 47.5%); population-based strategies (276/708; 38.9%); and education (96/708; 13.6%). Common population-based strategies included adjustment of doses and discontinuation of unnecessary medications. The cost avoidance model suggests $2.11 in cost was avoided for every $1.00 spent on a pharmacist ($373,092/$176,690).
Click here to view the abstract.
Who is the target audience for the workbook?
The workbook was written specifically for pharmacists; however, primary care practitioners, nurses, and practice administrators will find it a helpful resource.