ABSTRACT
Purpose: Unintentional medication discrepancies (UMD) are common amongst geriatric patients. If not addressed, these UMD can lead to suboptimal care and increased health care spending. Ambulatory care pharmacists are trained to identify and resolve UMD, and help tailor medication regimens to assure optimized and safe patient-centered care. The purpose of this retrospective study was to highlight the role of a remote, ambulatory care pharmacist in a geriatric primary care setting. Methods: This was a multicenter, single cohort, retrospective chart review of patients enrolled in a geriatric primary care initiative. Patients met with an ambulatory care pharmacist for a 60-minute telemedicine appointment. The primary endpoint was the percent of patients seen by the ambulatory care pharmacist with at least 1 medication discrepancy identified. Results: A total of 275 visits were scheduled with the ambulatory care pharmacist during the 6-month study period. At least 1 unintentional medication discrepancy (UMD) was identified in 151 patients (66%). At least 1 edit was made to the patient's medication list in 224 patients (97%). The ambulatory care pharmacist made recommendations to the provider in 210 patients (91%). The CPA was utilized in 75 patients (33%). Conclusion: This study highlights the utility of a remote, ambulatory care pharmacist in a geriatric primary care setting. Two-thirds of patients were noted to have at least 1 UMD, and more than 90% of patients were identified as having suboptimal regimens. This initiative shows the impact of a remote, ambulatory care pharmacist on patient care.
ABSTRACT
The role of GLP-1 agonists in the treatment of type 2 diabetes have been shown to be viable options for add-on therapy in diabetic patients, as well as potential monotherapy options. With six available GLP-1 agents, and new combination products in the pipeline, they are a promising drug class for type 2 diabetic patients, especially due to their extended dosing interval and potential weight loss benefits.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The assessment of reimbursement for and time spent on patient visits in a newly implemented, outpatient pharmacist-managed transition clinic (TC) was studied. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on clinic visits that occurred during January 1 to December 31, 2015. Patients who had at least one TC visit during the study period were included. Any visit with no response from insurance by March 31, 2016, was excluded. Services provided by the TC were billed using a facility fee billing model. The following data were collected: number of visits, time length of individual visits, billed amount, level of service, type of insurance, and amount reimbursed (from primary insurance, secondary insurance, and total amount). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: One hundred eight patients were eligible for inclusion in the study, with a total of 306 eligible visits. Each patient had a mean of 2.82 visits. The mean ± S.D. time spent per visit was 55 minutes. Visits were billed at level 2 (2%), level 3 (36%), and level 4 (62%). Two hundred seventy-two visits (89%) were partially or completely reimbursed by insurance, whereas 34 visits (11%) provided no reimbursement. The mean ± S.D. reimbursement was $99 ± $51.88 per visit. CONCLUSION: A pharmacist-managed TC service based in a community hospital achieved a positive return on investment through insurer reimbursement over a 12-month period.
