Abstract
The health care needs of children with special health care needs and medical complexity (CSHCN-CMC) are multifaceted and often require the expertise of various disciplines. The medication-related needs of this population can be further complicated with off-label medication use, polypharmacy, and vulnerability to medication errors. Although clinical pharmacists are increasingly becoming a common part of inpatient, pediatric interprofessional patient care teams, their presence remains lacking in the outpatient or ambulatory care realm. Pediatric clinical pharmacists in the ambulatory care setting have the potential to help optimize medication use and safety through collaborative efforts as part of the interprofessional team. Since the late 1960s, Pediatric Pulmonary Centers (PPCs) provide training programs designed to develop interprofessional leaders who will improve the health status of CSHCN-CMC, specifically those with chronic respiratory and sleep-related conditions. The addition of pharmacists not only provides a more comprehensive care model for CSHCN-CMC, it creates an avenue to encourage the career paths of pediatric pharmacists in the ambulatory care setting. Here, we describe the addition of clinical pharmacy as part of an interprofessional patient care team and the development and implementation of a maternal child health (MCH) pharmacy discipline training model designed to mentor future pharmacist leaders in the care of CSHCN-CMC.
Highlights
Interprofessional patient care requires the contribution of various skills, knowledge, and experiences from different health care staff members to come together, providing care to a patient.The prevalence of interprofessional health care has increased to eliminate barriers as well as optimize patient/family-centered care
Children and youth with special health care needs (CSHCN) and children with medical complexity (CMC) have been defined as those that “have or are at increased risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and who require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally” [2]
Clinical pharmacists are increasingly becoming a common part of inpatient interprofessional patient care teams, their presence remains lacking in the outpatient or ambulatory care realm, especially in the care of children
Summary
Interprofessional patient care requires the contribution of various skills, knowledge, and experiences from different health care staff members to come together, providing care to a patient. From the discussion with the providers, patients/families and the respiratory care team therapy, clinical develop pharmacy, nutrition, physician, nurse coordinator, collaboratively a care plan social to helpwork, meetpsychologist, the patient and family’s overall needs and health there be some variation based on the patient’s needs.share. Workflow clinic time evaluations revealed clinic appointments typically last collaboration up to two hours, which varied processes developed and are continually refined to ensure effective yet time efficientquality clinic dependingwere on patient’s needs and case complexity To further improve this process, continual visits for patients and families. The addition of the improve process, continual quality improvement initiatives our CFadded care center were developed pre-visit this planning phone calls conducted prior to clinic visits is afor recently quality improvement and implemented by the collectivepharmacy group, including additional patient and family advisory council initiative that involves a certified technician completing medication reconciliations prior members [15].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
