Recap: Pharmacy Times Covers the Pharmacy Quality Alliance Annual Meeting

Collaboration Is Key When Implementing SDOH Screening Programs

Collaborating with all key stakeholders is crucial when trying to implement a program to screen for and address social determinants of health (SDOH), said presenters in a session at the Pharmacy Quality Alliance 2024 Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, Maryland, May 14 to 16.

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The 3 broad steps to implementing a SDOH screening program and addressing obstacles are evaluating patients and their unique challenges; collaborating with social workers, community health partners, and other stakeholders; and connecting patients with these resources. In a pilot program implemented at CPS Solutions, LLC, Shanece Green, PharmD, RPh, MSPH, MBA, and her fellow panelists said they identified some best practices and recommendations for similar programs.

Unfortunately, funding in community pharmacies can be challenging, with no uniform reimbursement model. Potential options include charitable foundations, government agency grants, and private organizations. If provider status were to become a reality, reimbursement for Z codes under the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification, could also be an option.

Even with these challenges to address, the presenters emphasized the value of these programs for patients. Kristin M. Darin, PharmD, BCPS, highlighted a patient who came to the clinic with newly diagnosed HIV and who is now adherent to his treatment medicine, receiving monthly food boxes, and at the top of the list for local housing assistance.

“I really want you to think of this as an expansion of our current pharmacy practice models,” Darin said. “We’re really building upon and creating a more holistic approach.”

Study Results Support Pharmacists’ Roles in Ensuring Appropriate Use of Oral Oncolytics

New study findings from CPS Solutions, LLC, highlight the roles pharmacists play in the appropriate use of oral oncolytics, particularly when embedded in health system specialty pharmacy (HSSP) oncology clinics. The findings were presented in a poster at the Pharmacy Quality Alliance 2024 Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, Maryland, May 14 to 16.

Pharmacists can utilize their clinical expertise to intervene in medication therapy management challenges, which have been associated with improved patient outcomes and cost savings.

Four intervention types were identified: regimen (49%), adverse drug reaction (42%), laboratory (5%), and drug utilization review (4%). Additionally, there were 4 intervention recommendations identified: change frequency (n=1), change therapy (n=6), hold dose (n=22), and reduce dose (n=29).

The total amount of cost savings associated with the pharmacist interventions was calculated to be $700,503, and the average cost savings per intervention was $12,508. The total cost savings per intervention were also calculated to be $399,994 for reduce dose; $217,071 for hold dose; $65,501 for change frequency; and $17,937 for change therapy.

As value-based health care models become widespread, the interventions will be important to demonstrate the value of pharmacist-embedded HSSPs.

Program Highlights Opportunities for Community Pharmacies to Deliver Screening, Education

As pharmacy programs increasingly shift toward value-based care models, there are new opportunities for community pharmacies to deliver screening, education, and referral interventions in patient care, according to speakers in a session at the Pharmacy Quality Alliance 2024 Annual Meeting.

Presenter Jon Easter, BSPharm, RPh, was part of the design and implementation of the Community-Based Value-Driven Care Initiative, beginning during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was implemented in diabetes, cardiovascular, and behavioral health screenings, with 3 main goals: identify 3 clinical interventions to implement in community pharmacies to improve patient care and population health; implement and evaluate the feasibility and impact of the 3 interventions; and work collaboratively to create a sustainability plan and disseminate findings to enhance impact and scale-up.

The project’s sustainability was especially important, Easter said. The team partnered with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and developed networks across multiple states, urban and rural pharmacies, large and small pharmacy chains, and others.

Easter concluded that aligning community pharmacy interventions with top-down findings, payers’ population health priorities, and unmet needs can help develop a sustainable pathway. He urged attendees to involve all stakeholders—payers, policy makers, patients, and providers—early in the development process to ensure success and sustainability.