ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to determine if the presence of a clinical pharmacy team impacted patients' access to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of electronic medical records from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) was conducted. Data were collected regarding the timing of prior authorization (PA) submissions and approvals from 2012 to 2018. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the meantime (days) between prescription and PA submission dates, and PA submission and approval date for all patients included in the analysis. Comparisons were made for pre- and postpharmacy services eras as well as the UIHC Specialty Pharmacy versus a non-UIHC Specialty Pharmacy. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were included in the final analysis. The average time between prescription date and PA submission was 12.5 days (standard deviation [SD] = 17.4 days) in the preclinical pharmacy services era and 3.5 days (SD = 5.8 days; P = .028) in the postclinical pharmacy services era. The average time to PA submission significantly decreased from 9.8 days (SD = 13.1 days) to 1.3 days (SD = 4.2 days; P < .0001) when prescriptions were filled by the UIHC Specialty Pharmacy vs a non-UIHC Specialty Pharmacy. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant benefit to CFTR modulator prescribing when clinical pharmacy services were incorporated in our cystic fibrosis (CF) care team, which will become increasingly important with the anticipation of new CF medications in the near future.
Subject(s)
Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator , Cystic Fibrosis/drug therapy , Pharmaceutical Services , Prior Authorization , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , PharmaciesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study analyzed the impact of a pharmacist-managed diabetes clinic on clinical outcomes compared to usual care received from primary care providers (PCPs). This comparison may more definitively demonstrate the value of pharmacist management of chronic disease states. METHODS: Retrospective observational cohort study conducted in patients referred to a pharmacist-managed pharmacotherapy (PT) clinic from July 2009 to October 2014. RESULTS: For the primary outcome, the absolute change in A1c during the usual care phase was +1.53% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-1.96, P < .0001) versus an absolute change of -1.63% (95% CI: -1.28 to -1.97, P < .0001) in the intervention phase. For secondary outcomes, diabetes-related hospitalizations (10 vs 6, P = .104) and emergency room (ER) visits (27 vs 8, P = .049) decreased in the intervention phase compared to the usual care phase. The rate of diabetes-related interventions made per patient per year in the usual care phase was 2.7 versus 11.1 in the intervention phase ( P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Patients referred to the PT clinic had worsening blood glucose control prior to referral, and their control improved after referral to the clinic. Furthermore, there was an improvement in all diabetes-related outcomes in the intervention phase compared to the usual care phase.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care Facilities/standards , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/therapy , Patient Care/standards , Pharmacists/standards , Physicians/standards , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Ambulatory Care Facilities/trends , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Care/methods , Patient Care/trends , Pharmacists/trends , Physicians/trends , Professional Role , Referral and Consultation/standards , Referral and Consultation/trends , Retrospective Studies , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The implementation of a prescription benefit program for low-income patients emphasizing clinical pharmacist services and strict formulary control is described, with a review of program expenditures and cost avoidance. SUMMARY: In 2006, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) launched a program to provide a limited prescription benefit to indigent patients under the IowaCare Medicaid demonstration waiver. Sudden dramatic growth in IowaCare enrollment, combined with sharp budget cuts, forced UIHC pharmacy leaders to implement creative cost-control strategies: (1) the establishment of an ambulatory care clinic staffed by a clinical pharmacy specialist, (2) increased reliance on an almost exclusively generic formulary, (3) collaboration with social services staff to help secure medication assistance for patients requiring brand-name drugs, (4) optimized purchasing through the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, and (5) the imposition of medication copayments and mailing fees for prescription refills. Now in its seventh year, the UIHC pharmacy program has expanded indigent patients' access to pharmaceutical care services while reducing their use of hospital and emergency room services and lowering program medication costs by an estimated 50% (from $2.6 million in fiscal year 2009 to $1.3 million in fiscal year 2010). CONCLUSION: The UIHC ambulatory care pharmacy implemented a prescription program in collaboration with social service workers to address the medication needs of the state's low-income and uninsured patients in a fiscally responsible manner by managing purchasing contracts, revising a generic formulary, implementing copayments and mailing fees, and reviewing medication profiles.
