Promoting the Pharmacist Patient Care Process to Advance Team-based Care
Submission Date: August 2018
State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: Utah
States/Territories Involved: Utah
Domain Addressed:Health Systems Strategies
Public Health Issue:According to the Community Preventive Services Task Force, blood pressure control improves when pharmacists are part of a collaborative healthcare team managing a patient’s hypertension treatment.
In collaboration with other providers on the healthcare team, the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP) helps pharmacists use a consistent, patient-centered approach to optimize health outcomes, such as blood pressure control.
Program Action:NACDD, in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, works with a Utah state team to accelerate team-based care and collaborative practice by applying the PPCP to manage high blood pressure.
Utah’s Team-Based Care Committee provides input on efforts to expand the role of pharmacists on Utah healthcare teams. Members include representatives from the Utah Health Department and the University of Utah Health System, and from health system, chain, independent, and grocery store pharmacies. This group identified metrics and methods of data collection for use by pharmacists in implementing the PPCP and for tracking patient progress.
Impact/Accomplishments:The Utah Pharmacy Association board now requires that all of their continuing education opportunities include the PPCP when they offer a therapeutics component. They also developed a Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network to support the role of pharmacists on the healthcare team. Eight pharmacies in this network have signed national collaborative agreements and 92 others have signed local collaborative agreements.
The University of Utah Health System electronic medical record now includes options to indicate that medication therapy problems were identified and resolved as a result of using the PPCP. Uptake and use of these measures is strong, with 1,660 medication therapy problems reported in a single month in 2018.
Team-Based Care Committee members provided needed education on the PPCP and working with pharmacists:
- Representatives of 40 local health departments attended a Utah Health Department and University of Utah Health System presentation on resources for working with pharmacists and the pharmacy perspective on collaboration with public health.
- The project’s pharmacy lead presented the background, goals, and vision behind PPCP to University of Utah Health System medical directors and the School of Pharmacy department chairs to gain buy-in from these leaders.
- Staff from individual pharmacies, including 31 pharmacists, residents, and technicians, receive ongoing training on the PPCP as part of monthly staff meetings.
Heart Disease and Stroke
State Contact Information:
Utah
Ashley Rush
Utah Department of Health
arush@utah.gov