As U.S. health care becomes more team-based, Avalere releases report on pharmacists’ role

Abstract

The accelerating movement in the United States toward team-based care and outcomes-based reimbursement is the context for the importance of Avalere Health’s new independent report supporting the value of pharmacists’ services on the patient’s health care team. The accelerating movement in the United States toward team-based care and outcomes-based reimbursement is the context for the importance of Avalere Health’s new independent report supporting the value of pharmacists’ services on the patient’s health care team. “All the work that’s been done in pharmacy to study the outcomes, when pharmacists are integrated in teams, is beginning to pay great dividends. I was hoping this day would come, and I’m just happy it came in my lifetime,” said Brian Isetts, PhD, BCPS, FAPhA, Professor of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. Released May 21, the report, Exploring Pharmacists’ Role in a Changing Healthcare Environment, concluded that evidence around pharmacists’ impact on improving clinical and economic outcomes is growing, but that continued research may help to further inform policy makers and health care providers. The report also concluded that reimbursement policies should be aligned to increase use of pharmacists’ services to deliver the highest value health care to patients. (See page 1 of June’s Pharmacy Today for more information.) The analysis found that the most recent and relevant 171 U.S. research articles support the value of pharmacist-provided services such as medication management, medication reconciliation, preventive care services, educational and behavioral counseling, and collaborative care models between pharmacists and physicians. The increasing prominence of accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes will further shape new opportunities for pharmacists, according to Avalere Health. While the Avalere report does not quantify pharmacists’ impact, the report’s methodology was appropriate to explore the nature of the literature and to identify areas for future research, said Lisa M. Guirguis, BScPharm, MSc, PhD, Associate Professor on the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and Journal of the American Pharmacists Association Associate Editor. “This paper asserts pharmacists can make a difference in the health of patients,” Guirguis continued. “Further research is not needed to determine if pharmacists can make a difference. Instead, research is needed to determine how pharmacists can best ensure optimal drug therapy outcomes.” According to Isetts, researchers need to study how much work all members of the health care team, including pharmacists, put into helping patients achieve their goals of therapy. He explained the American Medical Association’s concept of relative value units, and suggested that “some of that original research or methodology could be applied to study the contributions of all the health care team members in terms of time and intensity towards those patient outcomes.” The Avalere Health report will be useful in discussions with policy makers by highlighting care and services pharmacists are currently providing as well as identifying opportunities to positively impact our health care system, said Stacie Maass, BSPharm, JD, APhA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Pharmacy Practice.MORE ONLINE■Avalere Health report:www.avalerehealth.net/expertise/life-sciences/insights/exploringpharmacists-role-in-a-changing-healthcare-environment ■Avalere Health report:www.avalerehealth.net/expertise/life-sciences/insights/exploringpharmacists-role-in-a-changing-healthcare-environment The report’s emphasis on team-based care also may have immediate implications for practicing pharmacists. “We are at a time when most clinicians are no longer questioning if a pharmacist’s expertise can help with high-risk patients,” said Marie Smith, PharmD, FNAP, Henry A. Palmer Professor in Community Pharmacy Practice and Assistant Dean of Practice and Public Policy Partnerships at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. “Rather, they are asking: ‘Where can I find a qualified pharmacist to help optimize medications and achieve patient outcomes?’“ “As we move from fee-for-service to outcomes-based reimbursement, now the clinics all of a sudden have this group of attributable, or accountable, patients,” Isetts said. “And [the clinics are] looking at their lists of medications and their health care expenditures, and saying, ‘Oh my goodness, now what do I do? Hey, here’s an idea. These pharmacists down the street have a reputation here for helping our most challenging patients. Let’s talk to them.’” Isetts continued, “If you have not created a dialogue or a relationship with your clinics and other health care providers in your community, now is the time.” Avalere Health’s research was funded by APhA, American Society of Health- System Pharmacists, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations. Avalere Health, a strategic advisory company based in Washington, DC, maintained full editorial control. The report’s conclusions are those of its authors. Diana Yap, Senior Assistant Editor