scholarly journals Community Pharmacists’ Motivation and Barriers to Providing and Billing Patient Care Services

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Liesl D. Reyes ◽  
Jenny Hong ◽  
Christine Lin ◽  
Jeffrey Hamper ◽  
Lisa Kroon
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Hormonal Contraceptives ◽  
Postexposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Travel Health ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Naloxone Hydrochloride ◽  
Common Barriers ◽  
New Strategies

Recently, California (CA) pharmacists’ scope of practice has expanded to include independently prescribing self-administered hormonal contraceptives, nicotine replacement therapy medications, travel health medications, routine vaccinations, naloxone hydrochloride, and HIV preexposure and postexposure prophylaxis. However, previous reports indicate that practicing within this expanded scope has remained limited. Therefore, a 26-item, web-based survey was emailed to CA community pharmacists to assess pharmacists’ knowledge, intent, and barriers to prescribing and billing for these patient care services. A total of 216 chain, supermarket-based, independent, mass merchant, and health-system outpatient pharmacists were included. The primary services provided and medications prescribed are for vaccinations and naloxone. Most pharmacists agree that engagement in and implementation of new strategies to enhance patients’ access to care is important. Common barriers include patient unawareness of pharmacist-provided services, lack of payment for services, and difficulty incorporating services within pharmacy workflow. Pharmacists are confident in their ability to provide patient care services but are less knowledgeable and confident about billing for them. Enhancing promotion of pharmacist-provided services to patients, developing strategies to efficiently incorporate them into the workflow, and payment models can help overcome barriers to providing these services.

scholarly journals Monitoring and managing medication adherence in community pharmacies in Quebec, Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 153 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-121
Author(s):  
Rébecca Fénélon-Dimanche ◽  
Line Guénette ◽  
Alia Yousif ◽  
Geneviève Lalonde ◽  
Marie-France Beauchesne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Patient Counselling ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Prescription Refill ◽  
Common Barriers ◽  
E Mail ◽  
Poor Medication Adherence

Background: Community pharmacists have direct access to prescription refill information and regularly interact with their patients. Therefore, they are in a unique position to promote optimal medication use. Objectives: To describe how community pharmacists in Quebec, Canada, identify nonadherent patients, monitor medication use and promote optimal medication adherence. Methods: An invitation to complete a web-based survey was published online through different platforms, including a Facebook pharmacists’ group, an electronic newsletter, a pharmacy network forum and e-mail. The survey included questions on participant characteristics, methods used by pharmacists to identify nonadherent patients and monitor medication use and interventions they used to promote medication adherence. Results: In total, 342 community pharmacists completed the survey. The participants were mainly women (71.6%), staff pharmacists (56.7%) and aged 30 to 39 years (34.2%). The most common method to identify nonadherent patients was to check gaps between prescription refills (98.8%). The most common intervention to promote adherence was patient counselling (82.5%). The most common barriers to identifying nonadherent patients were lack of time (73.1%) and lack of prescription information (65.8%), whereas the most common barriers to intervening were anticipation of a negative reaction from their patients (91.2%) and lack of time (64%). Conclusion: Lack of time and lack of prescription information are frequent challenges encountered by community pharmacists regarding effective monitoring and management of patients with poor medication adherence. Pharmacists could benefit from electronic tools based on prescription refills that would provide quick and easily interpretable information on their patients’ medication adherence. Can Pharm J (Ott) 2020;153:xx-xx.

scholarly journals Differences in career paths and attributes of pharmacists completing a community pharmacy residency program (CPRP)

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy R. Ulbrich ◽  
Alex Adams ◽  
David R. Bright ◽  
Donald L. Sullivan ◽  
Evan Schnur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Residency Program ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Job Responsibilities ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Strongly Agree

Objective: To determine any differences in career paths and career attributes of pharmacists who have completed a PGY1 community pharmacy residency program (CPRP) as compared to those that have not completed a PGY1 CPRP. Methods: A web-based survey evaluating various aspects of community pharmacists' careers was distributed to 274 CPRP graduates in addition to a random sample of 7,376 community pharmacists. The survey contained 32 questions evaluating various career attributes. Questions that assessed level of agreement were on a 6-point Likert-type Scale (1=strongly disagree; 6=strongly agree). Results: A total of 353 participants completed the survey, with 224 indicating that they had not completed a CPRP. Pharmacists who completed a CPRP responded that they spend significantly more time on patient care services, teaching, and research, and spend less time dispensing medications compared to those that have not completed a CPRP. Compared to those that did not complete a CPRP, CPRP graduates were less likely to agree that current level of workload negatively impacts job performance, motivation to work, job satisfaction, mental/emotional health, and physical health. Conclusion: Pharmacists completing a CPRP noted significant differences in their current employment and job responsibilities. Additional expansion and education regarding the importance of CPRPs should be considered.   Type: Original Research

Building the Case: Changing Consumer Perceptions of the Value of Expanded Community Pharmacist Services

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 637-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Steckowych ◽  
Marie Smith ◽  
Susan Spiggle ◽  
Andrew Stevens ◽  
Hao Li
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Community Pharmacist ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Consumer Perceptions ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
Pharmacist Services

Background: The role of the community pharmacist has traditionally been a medication dispenser; however, community pharmacists’ responsibilities must expand to include more direct patient care services in order to transform primary care practice. Objectives: Use case-based scenarios to (1) determine factors that contribute to positive and negative consumer perceptions of expanded community pharmacist patient care roles, (2) identify facilitators and barriers that contribute to consumer perceptions of the value of expanded community pharmacist patient care services, and (3) develop a successful approach and strategies for increasing consumer advocacy for the value of expanded community pharmacist patient care services. Methods: Two consumer focus groups used scenario-based guided discussions and Likert scale questionnaires to elicit consumer reactions, facilitators, and barriers to expanded community pharmacist services. Results: Convenience, timeliness, and accessibility were common positive reactions across all 3 scenarios. Team approach to care and trust were viewed as major facilitators. Participant concerns included uncertainty about pharmacist training and qualifications, privacy, pharmacists’ limited bandwidth to accept new tasks, and potential increased patient costs. Common barriers to service uptake included a lack of insurance payment and physician preference to provide the services. Conclusion: Consumer unfamiliarity with non-traditional community pharmacist services is likely an influencer of consumers’ hesitancy to utilize such services; therefore, an opportunity exists to engage consumers and advocacy organizations in supporting expanded community pharmacist roles. This study can inform consumers, advocates, community pharmacists, primary care providers, and community-based organizations on methods to shape consumer perceptions on the value of community pharmacist expanded services.

scholarly journals Patient Care Management (Handbook for Hospital and Community Pharmacists)

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 01-14
Author(s):  
Abdul Mohiuddin
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Pharmacy Education ◽  
Care Process ◽  
Education Standards ◽  
Care Community ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Patient Care Process

Most people on the outside of the health care profession are not familiar with this new role of the pharmacist. The general public has created a stereotypical pharmacist's picture as being a person who stands behind a counter, dispenses medicine with some instructions to the respective consumer. Pharmacy practice has changed substantially in recent years. Today’s pharmacists have unique training and expertise in the appropriate use of medications and provide a wide array of patient care services in many different practice settings. As doctors are busy with the diagnosis and treatment of patients, the pharmacist can assist them by selecting the most appropriate drug for a patient. Interventions by the pharmacists have always been considered as a valuable input by the health care community in the patient care process by reducing the medication errors, rationalizing the therapy and reducing the cost of therapy. The development and approval of the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process by the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners and incorporation of the Process into the 2016 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standards has the potential to lead to important changes in the practice of pharmacy, and to the enhanced acknowledgment, acceptance, and reimbursement for pharmacy and pharmacist services. As an author, it is my heartiest believe that the book will adjoin significant apprehension to future pharmacists in patient care as most of the portion created from recently published articles focusing pharmacists in patient care settings.

scholarly journals Community Pharmacists’ Perceptions of Patient Care Services within an Enhanced Service Network

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Daly ◽  
Bryan Quinn ◽  
Anna Mak ◽  
David M. Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Service Network ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Social Barriers ◽  
Electronic Survey ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Pharmacy Profession ◽  
Study Participants

Background: Pharmacists are positioned as an accessible source of patient care services (PCS). Despite the adversity community pharmacies continue to face, the expanding opportunity of offering PCS continues to be a pathway forward. Objective: To identify community pharmacists’ perceptions to deliver PCS within an enhanced service network. Methods: One-on-one semi-structured phone interviews were conducted as part of a mixed-methods approach. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a consensus codebook to draft thematic findings. Participants were recruited from an electronic survey targeting community pharmacists from the New York chapters of the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN). Results: Twelve pharmacists were interviewed with four main themes identified. The majority of study participants were pharmacy owners (92%) devoting an average of 15 h/week to PCS and 8 h/week addressing social barriers. The main themes identified include: (1) perceptions of pharmacy profession, (2) reimbursement models and sustainability of PCS, (3) provision of patient care services, and (4) how PCS address social determinants of health. Conclusions: Offering PCS opportunities for patients is a direction many community pharmacists have embraced and are working to succeed. Ongoing research is needed focusing on community pharmacists’ self-perceptions of the clinical impact and role they hold in an evolving healthcare system.

scholarly journals Uptake of Travel Health Services by Community Pharmacies and Patients Following Pharmacist Immunization Scope Expansion in Ontario, Canada

Pharmacy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherilyn K. D. Houle ◽  
Kristina Kozlovsky ◽  
Heidi V. J. Fernandes ◽  
Zahava Rosenberg-Yunger
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
The Public ◽  
Patient Awareness ◽  
Travel Health ◽  
Single Region ◽  
Insufficient Time

In December 2016, pharmacists in Ontario, Canada with authorization to administer injections saw an expansion in their scope from a restriction to the influenza vaccination only to now including an additional 13 vaccine-preventable diseases, largely those related to travel. It was uncertain whether this change in scope would see sufficient uptake, or translate to a corresponding expansion in other travel health service offerings from community pharmacies. In October/November 2017 a survey was conducted of all licensed community pharmacists in Ontario, followed by semi-structured interviews with 6 survey respondents in June 2018. A web-based survey of members of the public from a single region of the province was also conducted in September 2018 to assess uptake of expanded vaccination services. Broad variability in uptake of these services was noted, ranging from the dispensing of travel-related medications and vaccinations only through to vaccine administration and prescribing under medical directive; however, uptake was generally at the lower end of this spectrum. This was evidenced by 94% of pharmacists reporting administering fewer than 10 travel vaccinations per month, fewer than 10% of patients reporting receiving a travel vaccine administered by a pharmacist, and a maximum of 30 pharmacies (of nearly 6000 in the province) designated to provide yellow fever vaccinations. Fewer than 1 in 3 pharmacists reported performing some form of pre-travel consultation in their practice, often limited to low-risk cases only. Barriers and facilitators reported were similar for these services as they were for other non-dispensing services, including insufficient time to integrate the service into their workload, perceived lack of knowledge and confidence in travel health, and low patient awareness of these new services available to them through community pharmacies.

scholarly journals Early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and social restrictions on ambulance missions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauri Laukkanen ◽  
Sanna Lahtinen ◽  
Janne Liisanantti ◽  
Timo Kaakinen ◽  
Ari Ehrola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Phase ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Significant Decline ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Group A ◽  
New Strategies

Abstract Background The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a major impact on health care services globally. Recent studies report that emergency departments have experienced a significant decline in the number of admitted patients in the early phase of the pandemic. To date, research regarding the influence of COVID-19 on emergency medical services (EMS) is limited. The present study investigates a change in the number and characteristics of EMS missions in the early phase of the pandemic. Methods All EMS missions in the Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland (population 295 500) between 1 March to 30 June 2020 were screened and analyzed as the study group. A control group was composed from the EMS calls between the corresponding months in the years 2016–2019. Results A total of 74 576 EMS missions were screened for the study. Within the first two months after the first COVID-19 cases in the study area, the decline in the number of EMS missions was 5.7% – 13% compared to the control group average. EMS time intervals (emergency call to dispatch, dispatch, en-route, on-scene and hospital handover) prolonged in the COVID-19 period. Dispatches concerning mental health problems increased most in the study period (+1.2%, p < 0.001). Only eleven confirmed COVID-19 infections were encountered by EMS in the study period. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the present COVID-19 pandemic and social restrictions lead to changes in the EMS usage. These preliminary findings emphasize the importance of developing new strategies and protocols in response to the oncoming pandemic waves.

PATIENT CARE SERVICES

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 271-275
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Care Services

The validity of mobile applications to facilitate patient care provided to cancer patients: opportunities and limitations

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haneen Amawi ◽  
Sayer Alazzam ◽  
Tasnim Alzanati ◽  
Neveen Altamimi ◽  
Alaa Hammad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Free Access ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Detailed Assessment

Background: The use of health-related applications (apps) on smartphones has become widespread. This is especially of value during the ongoing SAR-COV-2 pandemic, where the accessibility for health care services has been greatly limited. Patients with free access to apps can obtain information to improve their understanding and management of health issues. Currently, there are cancer-related apps available on iPhones and androids. However, there are no guidelines to control these apps and ensure their quality. Furthermore, these apps may significantly modify the patients’ perception and knowledge toward drug-related health services. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the convenience, quality, safety and efficacy of apps for cancer patient care. Methods: The study was conducted by searching all apps related to cancer care on both Google Play Store and Apple iTunes Store. A detailed assessment was then performed using the mobile application rating scale (MARS) and risk assessment tools. Results: The results indicated that on a scale from 1-5, 47% of the apps were rated ≥ 4. The MARS assessment of the apps indicated an overall quality rating of 3.38 ± 0.9 (mean ± SD). The visual appeal of the app was found to have a significant effect on app functionality and user engagement. The potential benefits of these apps come with challenges and limitations. Patents related to smartphone applications targeting patients were also discussed. Conclusion: We recommend a greater emphasis toward producing evidence-based apps. These apps should be rigorously tested, evaluated and updated by experts, particularly clinical pharmacists. Also, these may alter patient attitudes toward services provided by physicians and pharmacists. Finally, these apps should not replace in-person interactive health services.

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