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Optimizing the primary care clinical pharmacy specialist: Increasing patient access and quality of care within the Veterans Health Administration
Author(s) -
McFarland M. Shawn,
Nelson Jordan,
Ourth Heather,
Groppi Julie,
Morreale Anthony
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of the american college of clinical pharmacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2574-9870
DOI - 10.1002/jac5.1177
Subject(s) - medicine , veterans affairs , pact , pharmacy , medical home , health care , disease management , clinical pharmacy , nursing , ambulatory care , medical emergency , family medicine , primary care , health management system , alternative medicine , archaeology , pathology , economics , history , economic growth
Background Access to high‐quality care is a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) top priority. The VA utilized the principles of the Patient Centered Medical Home model to design the Patient‐Aligned Care Team (PACT) to deliver primary care to our nation's Veterans. The PACT model was introduced in the VA in 2009 and was implemented across the health care system in 2010. Objective This review will highlight how the VA clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) have been integrated throughout the VA to provide clinical care services in the primary care setting. CPSs in PACTs provide comprehensive medication management (CMM) in between typical PACT provider visits to initiate, modify, or discontinue medications, as well as providing disease management in foundational and high‐volume areas such as anticoagulation, pain management, diabetes, hypertension, anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, hepatitis C, and hyperlipidemia. Conclusions Within the VA, CPSs work autonomously but collaboratively under a global or practice area‐based scope of practice (SOP) with prescriptive authority. VA CPS serving as a provider in primary care increase access and quality of care to veterans through the provision of CMM. This model has the opportunity to be leveraged in other health care systems.