Chen, colleagues provide MTM in L.A.’s most vulnerable neighborhoods

Abstract

When Steven Chen, PharmD, first moved his pharmacy practice setting from Beverly Hills to the gritty streets of downtown Los Angeles, he had no idea that working with the underserved would be so personally and professionally rewarding. Chen is one of several pharmacists from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy who provide medication therapy management (MTM) and clinical services to the uninsured, the poor, and the homeless in safety net clinics in Los Angeles.With more than 2.7 million uninsured living in Southern California, including an estimated 51,000 homeless people in the area, “physicians are overwhelmed as the demand for services has skyrocketed while the economy has plummeted,” said Chen. He was stunned by the number of patients seeking care at safety net clinics who until fairly recently had stable and secure lives with good ]obs and health insurance. “The need for quality care for this changing population is urgent and pharmacy services are essential to helping these patients reach their treatment goals,” said Chen, who manages all of USC’s clinical pharmacists in the I safety net clinics.The USC School of Pharmacy began working with safety net clinics in 2002 under the direction of Kathleen Johnson, PharmD, MPH, PhD, Vice Dean of Clinical Affairs and Outcomes Sciences and Chair of the Titus Family Department at the USC School of Pharmacy (see sidebar), after the receipt of a pharmacy expansion grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant allowed one pharmacist to divide time between three safety net clinics in Los Angeles.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload (PPT)Today, the school has received over $15 million in grants to fund more than a dozen pharmacy positions in 12 safety net clinics in the greater Los Angeles area, with plans to add more clinics in the near future. Over the span of 8 years, clinical pharmacists have logged 45,000 individual MTM visits for patients with hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, chronic heart failure, anticoagulation, and other conditions.Making a differenceUSC pharmacists collaborate with several safety net partners in providing MTM. At the John Wesley Community Health (JWHC) Institute, a private nonprofit health agency whose mission is to improve the health and wellness of the underserved population of Los Angeles County, clinical pharmacists provide a comprehensive package of health education including drug information, disease management, and dispensing assistance.“I have witnessed the dramatic improvement in chronic disease and behavioral health outcomes that resulted after the USC Clinical Pharmacy Program was implemented,” said Paul Gregerson, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at JWHC Institute. “Our patients have consistently provided positive feedback about how the pharmacy services have improved the quality of care at the clinic and made their health care experience more satisfying.” He described the collaboration between the USC School of Pharmacy and the JWHC Institute as the “most valuable and rewarding community partnership we have.”View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload (PPT)View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload (PPT)“I manage a wide variety of disease states in the same day, from anticoagulation to asthma to diabetes,” Wang told Today. Her daily work typically includes assessments of patient health status, resolving medication-related problems, improving adherence, formulating treatment plans, and helping patients meet goals by modifying medication regimens and dosages. Above all, the clinical pharmacists take ownership of each patient’s medication-related outcomes, providing follow-up care and resolving barriers to meeting treatment goals.Many of Wang’s patients have multiple health problems. One patient that she meets with every week has heart failure, uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. “When I first met him, I realized immediately that he did not understand his disease states or the purpose of all of his medications because he kept his meds in one big pile,” said Wang. She found out that the patient was taking the same dose of every medication. She also realized that he could not read, “so he didn’t understand the letters on the pillbox,” Wang explained. Once she began working with him every week, the patient started to understand the differences between his medications. “He’s doing really well now. It’s amazing how far we’ve come,” she said.Jason Ruscio is one of Chen’s patients at the Center for Community Health at the Weingart Center in downtown Los Angeles. Ruscio was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 37, and has several other medical conditions including epilepsy and nerve problems. “When I got there it wasn’t simply meeting with a [pharmacist] and them saying OK, you need insulin,”said Ruscio, who has been meeting monthly with Chen and clinical pharmacist Michelle Lee, PharmD, CDE, for almost 3 years. “I met with Dr. Chen and a staff of three students. They looked at my numbers that I recorded diligently and we discussed exactly the amount of insulin and the kind of insulin I should be using.” Fairly early on, Chen figured out that Ruscio was allergic to a particular type of insulin and Chen “within an instant found a replacement that was a real game changer for me,” said Ruscio. “Dr. Chen and the pharmacy have been a life saver, and I don’t know if I’d be here without their great work. They realize the gravity of my situation and don’t compromise my needs at all.”Pharmacist interventionOne of the biggest differences between practicing in a safety net clinic compared with other environments is the urgent need for health care quality improvement. “The physicians are great,” said Chen. “The problem is that they are overwhelmed.” In recent years, the volume of patients has increased and patient demographics for safety net clinics have undergone radical changes. “One of our previous clinic partners had a patient population that was almost 100% Latino. Two years into working with them we saw a significant portion of non-Latino patients, which the clinic has never seen before,” explained Chen.Since launching the safety net collaborations, the USC School of Pharmacy has tracked and published the impact of their clinical pharmacy services on health care quality, which shows substantial improvements in various markers of disease control. For example, patients’ glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) values have gone down an average of 3.7 points, and blood pressure has dropped by 26/12 mm Hg. In a multivariate analysis comparing patients who received asthma care from a pharmacist versus usual care, those who worked with a pharmacist had nearly a three-fold greater likelihood of achieving asthma control.(L—R): USC School of Pharmacy clinical pharmacist Michelle Lee, PharmD; pharmacy resident Tina Patel, PharmD; and patient Oswaldo ChavezView Large Image Figure ViewerDownload (PPT)Data from two clinic partners, QueensCare Family Clinics and the Center for Community Health, show that the pharmacists’ role in refining medication formularies, including optimizing the use of the Pharma Patient Assistance Program (PAP) and purchasing of 340B medications, was associated with a 75% reduction in annual medication costs to the clinics. According to Chen, the formulary costs for QueensCare Family Clinics dropped from about $2 million to about $400,000 annually, while the value of PAP medications acquired doubled from $1 million to $2 million. Formulary costs at the Center for Community Health dropped from $4 million to $1 million.“When practicing pharmacy in a safety net environment, you have to always figure out the most cost-effective way to treat these patients,” said Wang. “We are limited in resources and constantly challenged with how to develop optimal medication therapy regimens, while limiting costs as much as possible.”Access Resources That Enhance Your Community PracticeThe Community Pharmacy Foundation (CPF) has centralized many of the tools you need to enhance your community pharmacy practice. Key resources are: Pharmacy Reference Library — In collaboration with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), you have online access to peer-reviewed pharmacy journal articles and abstracts. Use Medicines Safely — Through a grant from CPF and in alliance with APhA and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), you have access to a public education campaign focusing on the role of the pharmacist in appropriate medication use. CPF Discussion Forum — This forum provides an avenue for dynamic discussion and networking opportunities on pharmacy/healthcare topics. Grants — CPF awards grants independently and in partnership with the APhA Foundation (Resident Incentive Grant) to stimulate growth in community pharmacy practice.www.communitypharmacyfoundation.orgNew horizonsThe USC School of Pharmacy continues to expand collaborations with area safety net clinics. Last year the Dean of the school, R. Pete Vanderveen, PhD, BSPharm, launched the USC Medication Therapy and Safety Initiative, which aims to double the school’s collaboration to 24 clinics and medical homes by 2013.The pharmacy team was recently awarded a $12 million Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) grant, the largest ever received by the USC School of Pharmacy. The grant will bring pharmacists into safety net clinics in Southern California as a way to ensure that patients receive optimal medication therapy while improving medication adherence and safe and appropriate use of medications. The goal is to optimize patient health outcomes while reducing avoidable hospitalizations and emergency room visits, dramatically reducing total health care costs despite a mild increase in medication therapy expenses.In collaboration with AltaMed Health Services, teams consisting of two pharmacists, two pharmacy residents, and two clinical pharmacy technicians will be located at each of three clinics in Orange County. The clinics are located in communities with large underserved populations that are vulnerable to health disparities and have limited access to care. Four Orange County clinics will serve as control (“usual care”) sites. The invervention will spread to two more clinics in Los Angeles County in year 2, during which a teleclinical pharmacy program will be piloted.“We’ll provide all patients in each clinic with clinical pharmacy services commensurate with their needs,” said Chen. “At a minimum, all patients will receive medication reconciliation at every visit, and the highest-risk patients will receive individualized comprehensive MTM.”The USC School of Pharmacy’s partnerships with safety net clinics are the practice of pharmacy at its best. “We strongly believe that pharmacists collaborating with primary care physicians and other health care professionals is the future of the practice of pharmacy,” said Vanderveen. “And the CMS grant, 1 of only about 100 awarded by the federal government among a competitive pool of over 3,000 applicants, is very encouraging. It says that pharmacists are finally on the radar as the medication expert on the health care team who can improve outcomes and save money.”MTM profileWant to know more?Get in touch with Steven Chen at [email protected] .October 28 - November 1, 2012 Hilton San Diego Bayfront and San Diego Convention CenterRegister today for Joint Forces Pharmacy Seminar 2012. Discover the latest in pharmacy products and services while networking with clinical and practice experts at the one meeting dedicated to important issues in Joint Forces pharmacy.JFPS 2012 — developed exclusively for pharmacy professionals in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard — is structured to encourage networking with your peers. You’ll gain insights and steer your career by exchanging ideas concerning pharmacy solutions to meet demands in your practice.Who Should Attend — Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from the active duty, reserve, and retired communities, as well as civilian pharmacists and technicians assigned to DoD and Coast Guard facilities.» Product Theaters» Service Dinners» Networking Receptions» Exposition» Education Sessions» 5 K Fun Run» Poster Program And Much More…Earn up to 24 hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credits When Steven Chen, PharmD, first moved his pharmacy practice setting from Beverly Hills to the gritty streets of downtown Los Angeles, he had no idea that working with the underserved would be so personally and professionally rewarding. Chen is one of several pharmacists from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy who provide medication therapy management (MTM) and clinical services to the uninsured, the poor, and the homeless in safety net clinics in Los Angeles. With more than 2.7 million uninsured living in Southern California, including an estimated 51,000 homeless people in the area, “physicians are overwhelmed as the demand for services has skyrocketed while the economy has plummeted,” said Chen. He was stunned by the number of patients seeking care at safety net clinics who until fairly recently had stable and secure lives with good ]obs and health insurance. “The need for quality care for this changing population is urgent and pharmacy services are essential to helping these patients reach their treatment goals,” said Chen, who manages all of USC’s clinical pharmacists in the I safety net clinics. The USC School of Pharmacy began working with safety net clinics in 2002 under the direction of Kathleen Johnson, PharmD, MPH, PhD, Vice Dean of Clinical Affairs and Outcomes Sciences and Chair of the Titus Family Department at the USC School of Pharmacy (see sidebar), after the receipt of a pharmacy expansion grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant allowed one pharmacist to divide time between three safety net clinics in Los Angeles. Today, the school has received over $15 million in grants to fund more than a dozen pharmacy positions in 12 safety net clinics in the greater Los Angeles area, with plans to add more clinics in the near future. Over the span of 8 years, clinical pharmacists have logged 45,000 individual MTM visits for patients with hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, chronic heart failure, anticoagulation, and other conditions. Making a differenceUSC pharmacists collaborate with several safety net partners in providing MTM. At the John Wesley Community Health (JWHC) Institute, a private nonprofit health agency whose mission is to improve the health and wellness of the underserved population of Los Angeles County, clinical pharmacists provide a comprehensive package of health education including drug information, disease management, and dispensing assistance.“I have witnessed the dramatic improvement in chronic disease and behavioral health outcomes that resulted after the USC Clinical Pharmacy Program was implemented,” said Paul Gregerson, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at JWHC Institute. “Our patients have consistently provided positive feedback about how the pharmacy services have improved the quality of care at the clinic and made their health care experience more satisfying.” He described the collaboration between the USC School of Pharmacy and the JWHC Institute as the “most valuable and rewarding community partnership we have.”View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload (PPT)“I manage a wide variety of disease states in the same day, from anticoagulation to asthma to diabetes,” Wang told Today. Her daily work typically includes assessments of patient health status, resolving medication-related problems, improving adherence, formulating treatment plans, and helping patients meet goals by modifying medication regimens and dosages. Above all, the clinical pharmacists take ownership of each patient’s medication-related outcomes, providing follow-up care and resolving barriers to meeting treatment goals.Many of Wang’s patients have multiple health problems. One patient that she meets with every week has heart failure, uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. “When I first met him, I realized immediately that he did not understand his disease states or the purpose of all of his medications because he kept his meds in one big pile,” said Wang. She found out that the patient was taking the same dose of every medication. She also realized that he could not read, “so he didn’t understand the letters on the pillbox,” Wang explained. Once she began working with him every week, the patient started to understand the differences between his medications. “He’s doing really well now. It’s amazing how far we’ve come,” she said.Jason Ruscio is one of Chen’s patients at the Center for Community Health at the Weingart Center in downtown Los Angeles. Ruscio was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 37, and has several other medical conditions including epilepsy and nerve problems. “When I got there it wasn’t simply meeting with a [pharmacist] and them saying OK, you need insulin,”said Ruscio, who has been meeting monthly with Chen and clinical pharmacist Michelle Lee, PharmD, CDE, for almost 3 years. “I met with Dr. Chen and a staff of three students. They looked at my numbers that I recorded diligently and we discussed exactly the amount of insulin and the kind of insulin I should be using.” Fairly early on, Chen figured out that Ruscio was allergic to a particular type of insulin and Chen “within an instant found a replacement that was a real game changer for me,” said Ruscio. “Dr. Chen and the pharmacy have been a life saver, and I don’t know if I’d be here without their great work. They realize the gravity of my situation and don’t compromise my needs at all.” USC pharmacists collaborate with several safety net partners in providing MTM. At the John Wesley Community Health (JWHC) Institute, a private nonprofit health agency whose mission is to improve the health and wellness of the underserved population of Los Angeles County, clinical pharmacists provide a comprehensive package of health education including drug information, disease management, and dispensing assistance. “I have witnessed the dramatic improvement in chronic disease and behavioral health outcomes that resulted after the USC Clinical Pharmacy Program was implemented,” said Paul Gregerson, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at JWHC Institute. “Our patients have consistently provided positive feedback about how the pharmacy services have improved the quality of care at the clinic and made their health care experience more satisfying.” He described the collaboration between the USC School of Pharmacy and the JWHC Institute as the “most valuable and rewarding community partnership we have.” “I manage a wide variety of disease states in the same day, from anticoagulation to asthma to diabetes,” Wang told Today. Her daily work typically includes assessments of patient health status, resolving medication-related problems, improving adherence, formulating treatment plans, and helping patients meet goals by modifying medication regimens and dosages. Above all, the clinical pharmacists take ownership of each patient’s medication-related outcomes, providing follow-up care and resolving barriers to meeting treatment goals. Many of Wang’s patients have multiple health problems. One patient that she meets with every week has heart failure, uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. “When I first met him, I realized immediately that he did not understand his disease states or the purpose of all of his medications because he kept his meds in one big pile,” said Wang. She found out that the patient was taking the same dose of every medication. She also realized that he could not read, “so he didn’t understand the letters on the pillbox,” Wang explained. Once she began working with him every week, the patient started to understand the differences between his medications. “He’s doing really well now. It’s amazing how far we’ve come,” she said. Jason Ruscio is one of Chen’s patients at the Center for Community Health at the Weingart Center in downtown Los Angeles. Ruscio was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 37, and has several other medical conditions including epilepsy and nerve problems. “When I got there it wasn’t simply meeting with a [pharmacist] and them saying OK, you need insulin,”said Ruscio, who has been meeting monthly with Chen and clinical pharmacist Michelle Lee, PharmD, CDE, for almost 3 years. “I met with Dr. Chen and a staff of three students. They looked at my numbers that I recorded diligently and we discussed exactly the amount of insulin and the kind of insulin I should be using.” Fairly early on, Chen figured out that Ruscio was allergic to a particular type of insulin and Chen “within an instant found a replacement that was a real game changer for me,” said Ruscio. “Dr. Chen and the pharmacy have been a life saver, and I don’t know if I’d be here without their great work. They realize the gravity of my situation and don’t compromise my needs at all.” Pharmacist interventionOne of the biggest differences between practicing in a safety net clinic compared with other environments is the urgent need for health care quality improvement. “The physicians are great,” said Chen. “The problem is that they are overwhelmed.” In recent years, the volume of patients has increased and patient demographics for safety net clinics have undergone radical changes. “One of our previous clinic partners had a patient population that was almost 100% Latino. Two years into working with them we saw a significant portion of non-Latino patients, which the clinic has never seen before,” explained Chen.Since launching the safety net collaborations, the USC School of Pharmacy has tracked and published the impact of their clinical pharmacy services on health care quality, which shows substantial improvements in various markers of disease control. For example, patients’ glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) values have gone down an average of 3.7 points, and blood pressure has dropped by 26/12 mm Hg. In a multivariate analysis comparing patients who received asthma care from a pharmacist versus usual care, those who worked with a pharmacist had nearly a three-fold greater likelihood of achieving asthma control.Data from two clinic partners, QueensCare Family Clinics and the Center for Community Health, show that the pharmacists’ role in refining medication formularies, including optimizing the use of the Pharma Patient Assistance Program (PAP) and purchasing of 340B medications, was associated with a 75% reduction in annual medication costs to the clinics. According to Chen, the formulary costs for QueensCare Family Clinics dropped from about $2 million to about $400,000 annually, while the value of PAP medications acquired doubled from $1 million to $2 million. Formulary costs at the Center for Community Health dropped from $4 million to $1 million.“When practicing pharmacy in a safety net environment, you have to always figure out the most cost-effective way to treat these patients,” said Wang. “We are limited in resources and constantly challenged with how to develop optimal medication therapy regimens, while limiting costs as much as possible.”Access Resources That Enhance Your Community PracticeThe Community Pharmacy Foundation (CPF) has centralized many of the tools you need to enhance your community pharmacy practice. Key resources are: Pharmacy Reference Library — In collaboration with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), you have online access to peer-reviewed pharmacy journal articles and abstracts. Use Medicines Safely — Through a grant from CPF and in alliance with APhA and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), you have access to a public education campaign focusing on the role of the pharmacist in appropriate medication use. CPF Discussion Forum — This forum provides an avenue for dynamic discussion and networking opportunities on pharmacy/healthcare topics. Grants — CPF awards grants independently and in partnership with the APhA Foundation (Resident Incentive Grant) to stimulate growth in community pharmacy practice.www.communitypharmacyfoundation.orgNew horizonsThe USC School of Pharmacy continues to expand collaborations with area safety net clinics. Last year the Dean of the school, R. Pete Vanderveen, PhD, BSPharm, launched the USC Medication Therapy and Safety Initiative, which aims to double the school’s collaboration to 24 clinics and medical homes by 2013.The pharmacy team was recently awarded a $12 million Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) grant, the largest ever received by the USC School of Pharmacy. The grant will bring pharmacists into safety net clinics in Southern California as a way to ensure that patients receive optimal medication therapy while improving medication adherence and safe and appropriate use of medications. The goal is to optimize patient health outcomes while reducing avoidable hospitalizations and emergency room visits, dramatically reducing total health care costs despite a mild increase in medication therapy expenses.In collaboration with AltaMed Health Services, teams consisting of two pharmacists, two pharmacy residents, and two clinical pharmacy technicians will be located at each of three clinics in Orange County. The clinics are located in communities with large underserved populations that are vulnerable to health disparities and have limited access to care. Four Orange County clinics will serve as control (“usual care”) sites. The invervention will spread to two more clinics in Los Angeles County in year 2, during which a teleclinical pharmacy program will be piloted.“We’ll provide all patients in each clinic with clinical pharmacy services commensurate with their needs,” said Chen. “At a minimum, all patients will receive medication reconciliation at every visit, and the highest-risk patients will receive individualized comprehensive MTM.”The USC School of Pharmacy’s partnerships with safety net clinics are the practice of pharmacy at its best. “We strongly believe that pharmacists collaborating with primary care physicians and other health care professionals is the future of the practice of pharmacy,” said Vanderveen. “And the CMS grant, 1 of only about 100 awarded by the federal government among a competitive pool of over 3,000 applicants, is very encouraging. It says that pharmacists are finally on the radar as the medication expert on the health care team who can improve outcomes and save money.”MTM profileWant to know more?Get in touch with Steven Chen at [email protected] .October 28 - November 1, 2012 Hilton San Diego Bayfront and San Diego Convention CenterRegister today for Joint Forces Pharmacy Seminar 2012. Discover the latest in pharmacy products and services while networking with clinical and practice experts at the one meeting dedicated to important issues in Joint Forces pharmacy.JFPS 2012 — developed exclusively for pharmacy professionals in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard — is structured to encourage networking with your peers. You’ll gain insights and steer your career by exchanging ideas concerning pharmacy solutions to meet demands in your practice.Who Should Attend — Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from the active duty, reserve, and retired communities, as well as civilian pharmacists and technicians assigned to DoD and Coast Guard facilities.» Product Theaters» Service Dinners» Networking Receptions» Exposition» Education Sessions» 5 K Fun Run» Poster Program And Much More…Earn up to 24 hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credits One of the biggest differences between practicing in a safety net clinic compared with other environments is the urgent need for health care quality improvement. “The physicians are great,” said Chen. “The problem is that they are overwhelmed.” In recent years, the volume of patients has increased and patient demographics for safety net clinics have undergone radical changes. “One of our previous clinic partners had a patient population that was almost 100% Latino. Two years into working with them we saw a significant portion of non-Latino patients, which the clinic has never seen before,” explained Chen. Since launching the safety net collaborations, the USC School of Pharmacy has tracked and published the impact of their clinical pharmacy services on health care quality, which shows substantial improvements in various markers of disease control. For example, patients’ glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) values have gone down an average of 3.7 points, and blood pressure has dropped by 26/12 mm Hg. In a multivariate analysis comparing patients who received asthma care from a pharmacist versus usual care, those who worked with a pharmacist had nearly a three-fold greater likelihood of achieving asthma control. Data from two clinic partners, QueensCare Family Clinics and the Center for Community Health, show that the pharmacists’ role in refining medication formularies, including optimizing the use of the Pharma Patient Assistance Program (PAP) and purchasing of 340B medications, was associated with a 75% reduction in annual medication costs to the clinics. According to Chen, the formulary costs for QueensCare Family Clinics dropped from about $2 million to about $400,000 annually, while the value of PAP medications acquired doubled from $1 million to $2 million. Formulary costs at the Center for Community Health dropped from $4 million to $1 million. “When practicing pharmacy in a safety net environment, you have to always figure out the most cost-effective way to treat these patients,” said Wang. “We are limited in resources and constantly challenged with how to develop optimal medication therapy regimens, while limiting costs as much as possible.” Access Resources That Enhance Your Community PracticeThe Community Pharmacy Foundation (CPF) has centralized many of the tools you need to enhance your community pharmacy practice. Key resources are: Pharmacy Reference Library — In collaboration with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), you have online access to peer-reviewed pharmacy journal articles and abstracts. Use Medicines Safely — Through a grant from CPF and in alliance with APhA and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), you have access to a public education campaign focusing on the role of the pharmacist in appropriate medication use. CPF Discussion Forum — This forum provides an avenue for dynamic discussion and networking opportunities on pharmacy/healthcare topics. Grants — CPF awards grants independently and in partnership with the APhA Foundation (Resident Incentive Grant) to stimulate growth in community pharmacy practice.www.communitypharmacyfoundation.org The Community Pharmacy Foundation (CPF) has centralized many of the tools you need to enhance your community pharmacy practice. Key resources are: Pharmacy Reference Library — In collaboration with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), you have online access to peer-reviewed pharmacy journal articles and abstracts. Use Medicines Safely — Through a grant from CPF and in alliance with APhA and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), you have access to a public education campaign focusing on the role of the pharmacist in appropriate medication use. CPF Discussion Forum — This forum provides an avenue for dynamic discussion and networking opportunities on pharmacy/healthcare topics. Grants — CPF awards grants independently and in partnership with the APhA Foundation (Resident Incentive Grant) to stimulate growth in community pharmacy practice.www.communitypharmacyfoundation.org The Community Pharmacy Foundation (CPF) has centralized many of the tools you need to enhance your community pharmacy practice. Key resources are: Pharmacy Reference Library — In collaboration with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), you have online access to peer-reviewed pharmacy journal articles and abstracts. Use Medicines Safely — Through a grant from CPF and in alliance with APhA and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), you have access to a public education campaign focusing on the role of the pharmacist in appropriate medication use. CPF Discussion Forum — This forum provides an avenue for dynamic discussion and networking opportunities on pharmacy/healthcare topics. Grants — CPF awards grants independently and in partnership with the APhA Foundation (Resident Incentive Grant) to stimulate growth in community pharmacy practice. www.communitypharmacyfoundation.org New horizonsThe USC School of Pharmacy continues to expand collaborations with area safety net clinics. Last year the Dean of the school, R. Pete Vanderveen, PhD, BSPharm, launched the USC Medication Therapy and Safety Initiative, which aims to double the school’s collaboration to 24 clinics and medical homes by 2013.The pharmacy team was recently awarded a $12 million Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) grant, the largest ever received by the USC School of Pharmacy. The grant will bring pharmacists into safety net clinics in Southern California as a way to ensure that patients receive optimal medication therapy while improving medication adherence and safe and appropriate use of medications. The goal is to optimize patient health outcomes while reducing avoidable hospitalizations and emergency room visits, dramatically reducing total health care costs despite a mild increase in medication therapy expenses.In collaboration with AltaMed Health Services, teams consisting of two pharmacists, two pharmacy residents, and two clinical pharmacy technicians will be located at each of three clinics in Orange County. The clinics are located in communities with large underserved populations that are vulnerable to health disparities and have limited access to care. Four Orange County clinics will serve as control (“usual care”) sites. The invervention will spread to two more clinics in Los Angeles County in year 2, during which a teleclinical pharmacy program will be piloted.“We’ll provide all patients in each clinic with clinical pharmacy services commensurate with their needs,” said Chen. “At a minimum, all patients will receive medication reconciliation at every visit, and the highest-risk patients will receive individualized comprehensive MTM.”The USC School of Pharmacy’s partnerships with safety net clinics are the practice of pharmacy at its best. “We strongly believe that pharmacists collaborating with primary care physicians and other health care professionals is the future of the practice of pharmacy,” said Vanderveen. “And the CMS grant, 1 of only about 100 awarded by the federal government among a competitive pool of over 3,000 applicants, is very encouraging. It says that pharmacists are finally on the radar as the medication expert on the health care team who can improve outcomes and save money.”MTM profileWant to know more?Get in touch with Steven Chen at [email protected] . The USC School of Pharmacy continues to expand collaborations with area safety net clinics. Last year the Dean of the school, R. Pete Vanderveen, PhD, BSPharm, launched the USC Medication Therapy and Safety Initiative, which aims to double the school’s collaboration to 24 clinics and medical homes by 2013. The pharmacy team was recently awarded a $12 million Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) grant, the largest ever received by the USC School of Pharmacy. The grant will bring pharmacists into safety net clinics in Southern California as a way to ensure that patients receive optimal medication therapy while improving medication adherence and safe and appropriate use of medications. The goal is to optimize patient health outcomes while reducing avoidable hospitalizations and emergency room visits, dramatically reducing total health care costs despite a mild increase in medication therapy expenses. In collaboration with AltaMed Health Services, teams consisting of two pharmacists, two pharmacy residents, and two clinical pharmacy technicians will be located at each of three clinics in Orange County. The clinics are located in communities with large underserved populations that are vulnerable to health disparities and have limited access to care. Four Orange County clinics will serve as control (“usual care”) sites. The invervention will spread to two more clinics in Los Angeles County in year 2, during which a teleclinical pharmacy program will be piloted. “We’ll provide all patients in each clinic with clinical pharmacy services commensurate with their needs,” said Chen. “At a minimum, all patients will receive medication reconciliation at every visit, and the highest-risk patients will receive individualized comprehensive MTM.” The USC School of Pharmacy’s partnerships with safety net clinics are the practice of pharmacy at its best. “We strongly believe that pharmacists collaborating with primary care physicians and other health care professionals is the future of the practice of pharmacy,” said Vanderveen. “And the CMS grant, 1 of only about 100 awarded by the federal government among a competitive pool of over 3,000 applicants, is very encouraging. It says that pharmacists are finally on the radar as the medication expert on the health care team who can improve outcomes and save money.”MTM profileWant to know more?Get in touch with Steven Chen at [email protected] . Want to know more?Get in touch with Steven Chen at [email protected] . Want to know more? Get in touch with Steven Chen at [email protected] . October 28 - November 1, 2012 Hilton San Diego Bayfront and San Diego Convention CenterRegister today for Joint Forces Pharmacy Seminar 2012. Discover the latest in pharmacy products and services while networking with clinical and practice experts at the one meeting dedicated to important issues in Joint Forces pharmacy.JFPS 2012 — developed exclusively for pharmacy professionals in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard — is structured to encourage networking with your peers. You’ll gain insights and steer your career by exchanging ideas concerning pharmacy solutions to meet demands in your practice.Who Should Attend — Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from the active duty, reserve, and retired communities, as well as civilian pharmacists and technicians assigned to DoD and Coast Guard facilities.» Product Theaters» Service Dinners» Networking Receptions» Exposition» Education Sessions» 5 K Fun Run» Poster Program And Much More…Earn up to 24 hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credits October 28 - November 1, 2012 Hilton San Diego Bayfront and San Diego Convention CenterRegister today for Joint Forces Pharmacy Seminar 2012. Discover the latest in pharmacy products and services while networking with clinical and practice experts at the one meeting dedicated to important issues in Joint Forces pharmacy.JFPS 2012 — developed exclusively for pharmacy professionals in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard — is structured to encourage networking with your peers. You’ll gain insights and steer your career by exchanging ideas concerning pharmacy solutions to meet demands in your practice.Who Should Attend — Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from the active duty, reserve, and retired communities, as well as civilian pharmacists and technicians assigned to DoD and Coast Guard facilities.» Product Theaters» Service Dinners» Networking Receptions» Exposition» Education Sessions» 5 K Fun Run» Poster Program And Much More…Earn up to 24 hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credits October 28 - November 1, 2012 Hilton San Diego Bayfront and San Diego Convention Center Register today for Joint Forces Pharmacy Seminar 2012. Discover the latest in pharmacy products and services while networking with clinical and practice experts at the one meeting dedicated to important issues in Joint Forces pharmacy. JFPS 2012 — developed exclusively for pharmacy professionals in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard — is structured to encourage networking with your peers. You’ll gain insights and steer your career by exchanging ideas concerning pharmacy solutions to meet demands in your practice. Who Should Attend — Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from the active duty, reserve, and retired communities, as well as civilian pharmacists and technicians assigned to DoD and Coast Guard facilities. » Product Theaters » Service Dinners » Networking Receptions » Exposition » Education Sessions » 5 K Fun Run » Poster Program And Much More… Earn up to 24 hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credits