Rural health systems' perceptions of referral to community pharmacists during transitions of care

Community-Based Pharmacy Practice Innovation and the Role of the Community-Based Pharmacist Practitioner in the United States

Community-based pharmacy practice is evolving from a focus on product preparation and dispensing to becoming a health care destination within the four walls of the traditional community-based pharmacy. Furthermore, community-based pharmacy practice is expanding beyond the four walls of the traditional community-based pharmacy to provide care to patients where they need it. Pharmacists involved in this transition are community-based pharmacist practitioners who are primarily involved in leading and advancing team-based patient care services in communities to improve the patient health. This paper will review community-based pharmacy practice innovations and the role of the community-based pharmacist practitioner in the United States.

Decision-maker and staff perceptions of the pharmacist's role in transitions of care programs

OBJECTIVES

To identify perceptions of decision-makers and staff at a local hospital about the pharmacist's role in transitions of care (TOC) programs.

SETTING

Independent community pharmacy located inside a local community hospital.

PRACTICE DESCRIPTION

Pharmacy personnel offer a bedside delivery service to hospital patients and have professional relationships with administration.

PRACTICE INNOVATION

Pharmacy personnel intend to expand the bedside delivery service to a comprehensive TOC program. Researchers believed it would be important to gather the perceptions of pharmacist's role in TOC programs from nonpharmacist clinicians and administration to successfully develop the program.

EVALUATION

This project would identify perceptions to help develop a TOC program.

METHODS

A 22-question survey was developed after consulting with key staff and informed by literature regarding TOC and pharmacists' roles in patient care services. Collected demographic information included primary department, number of years worked at the institution, and involvement in TOC. After an 8-week survey distribution period, descriptive statistics were performed on the data collected.

RESULTS

A total of 13 decision-makers and staff responded to the survey with a response rate of 87%. Eleven of 12 respondents (92%) thought that pharmacists should be involved in TOC and can be the communication link between patients and other health care providers to ensure continuity of care. All of the participants thought that pharmacists should provide medication reconciliation and patient and caregiver education through TOC services. The participants were less likely to think that pharmacists should offer follow-up care after discharge.

CONCLUSION

Participants agreed that pharmacists should be involved in TOC services but had varied perceptions on the pharmacist's specific role. Decision-maker and staff perceptions identified in this study will be used to develop the pharmacist's role in a TOC program at the institution.