EXPANSION of diabetes education in a United States-Mexico border community (Expanding Services for Patients to Acquire New Skills, Set Goals, and Improve Overall Knowledge).

OBJECTIVES: To describe the process used by a pharmacy team at a community health center to coordinate and expand diabetes education services (English and Spanish) for a predominantly Hispanic, Spanish-speaking population. SETTING: The project was implemented at 2 clinics in a federally qualified community health center system based in a low-income southwest U.S.-Mexico border community. PRACTICE INNOVATION: This project enhanced accessibility to diabetes education to improve knowledge, skills, and goal setting through existing pharmacy services at the primary clinic and 1 rural satellite clinic. EVALUATION: The success of the project was evaluated quantitatively. Metrics used to evaluate enhancement of existing practices included enrollment and completion rates, number of sessions, and diabetes leadership meetings. RESULTS: Over the 5-month project period assessed, 7 interdisciplinary professionals were certified as Diabetes Empowerment Education Program educators. Four sessions were conducted at both clinics. A total of 31 participants completed the diabetes classes. An educational attainment of 8th grade or less was reported in 91% of the rural participants compared with 50% of the urban participants. Ten interdisciplinary leadership meetings centered on recruitment, progress toward goals, and action items to ensure quality of classes. A nurse practitioner and pharmacist piloted a shared-visit model with 5 patients during a 45-minute time period. CONCLUSION: Successful diabetes education services occurred by implementing an evidence-based curriculum, identifying provider champions, increasing patient enrollment through provider referrals, and generating reports. Patient accountability was facilitated by setting patient-centered goals for knowledge and skills. Last, support groups provided ongoing support once patients graduated from a structured diabetes program.

Development of a community pharmacy human papillomavirus vaccine program for underinsured university students along the United States/Mexico border.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and implementation of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine patient assistance program (PAP) for university students, and to acquire information on the number who accessed the program and completed the series. SETTING: University of Texas at El Paso University Student Health Clinic Pharmacy, Fall 2011-Spring 2014. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: A community pharmacy located within the university student health clinic providing services to an underinsured student population. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Existing evidence shows the benefit of using PAP in community pharmacies but is nonspecific regarding the use of PAP for vaccines in an uninsured and underinsured Hispanic student population. The implementation of this unique HPV vaccine program in a community setting aims to increase awareness, access, and rates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary measures included results from a needs-assessment questionnaire that were used to implement the HPV vaccine program. After implementation, utilization data were collected on the number of students who qualified and enrolled in the HPV PAP and the number of students who completed the HPV series. RESULTS: The preliminary data from a needs assessment indicated that a majority (72.1%, n = 80) of students did not understand how HPV is transmitted. A total of 89 students qualified for PAP. The majority were women (81%). A total of 71 students (79.8%) received their second dose and 43 (48.3%) completed the series. CONCLUSIONS: Although pharmacists continue to provide vaccine services, minorities such as the Hispanic population continue to be underimmunized. Students may not be taking the proper precautions to prevent the acquisition of HPV. For these reasons services such as this HPV vaccine program are warranted. Pharmacists need to continue to educate and advocate on the importance of vaccines and how they prevent disease.