Pharmacists Help their Patients Take Medication as Prescribed

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Submission Date: September 2018

State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: Missouri

States/Territories Involved: Missouri

Funding Source: CDC

CDC Funding:

Yes

CDC Funding (Specified):

(1305) State Public Health

Domain Addressed:

Health Systems Strategies

Public Health Issue:

  • Patients with type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure often need medication to help control their conditions, but medications may not help if patients don’t take them as prescribed.
  • Primary care clinicians can be challenged in promoting medication adherence for many reasons. This can have negative effects, such as higher medical costs and worsening of the patient’s chronic condition.
  • The federal Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) encourages states to utilize pharmacists in their efforts to improve access to care.
  • The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends team-based care to control type 2 diabetes based on strong evidence of effectiveness in improving patients’ blood glucose (measured using A1C), blood pressure, and lipid levels.

Program Action:

  • The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MODHSS) works with the Missouri Pharmacy Association to expand pharmacist services related to diabetes with funding support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • The MODHSS-funded pharmacy expansion initiative supports Diabetes Accreditation Standards-Practical Applications (DASPA) training, which is designed to increase patient access to accredited DSME programs by offering independent community pharmacies a way to enhance their patient care services and to achieve DSME site accreditation. DASPA training is offered through the National Community Pharmacy Association and the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
  • Because it proved difficult to move pharmacies from the training phase, which focuses on business operations, to fully-accredited program implementation, a grant now supports the services of a Creative Pharmacist consultant and use of the STRAND platform to help each program meet the stringent accreditation requirements.
  • A project advertorial in the Missouri Pharmacy Association magazine and mass email communications raised awareness among pharmacists about the initiative.

Impact/Accomplishments:

  • The inclusion of pharmacists on patient care teams at participating community health centers resulted in improved patient adherence for diabetes medication from 66% to 81%, a 22% increase. Patient adherence for high blood pressure medication went from 60% to 84%, a 40% increase.
  • “Pharmacists are hugely underused resources that can really impact and change our patients’ lives…providers could not give the care needed without involvement of the pharmacist,” said one community health center staff member.

Program Areas:

Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke

State Contact Information:

MO
Glenn Studebaker
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
573-522-2875
Glenn.Studebaker@health.mo.gov

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