Looking Back on 2020 with 20/20 Vision
Curtis Smith, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP, professor, Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, Lansing; MSHP President
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Last year, as I was preparing for my presidential year, I thought it was fortuitous that I would be creating a “vision” for the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) in 2020. It was obvious that I needed to work the concept of 20/20 vision into my plans for the organization. Given the fact that I have worn glasses since the age of 10, I should have known that there was no way I would have sharp, clear, focused vision on what would happen in 2020. Little did I know how different this past year would be for the organization.
We began the year with an exciting array of committee charges and a group of volunteer leaders ready to improve health-system pharmacy practice in Michigan. A number of these charges were carry-overs from the previous years’ presidents, Nancy McDonald and John Clark, as I was wrapping up the third year of our strategic plan. Others were focused on my theme of being pharmacy champions. After a successful Committee Day in January, the committees were well on their way to fulfilling those charges.
And then came March! Just as COVID-19 disrupted most areas of our lives – work, education, family gatherings, social events, hobbies – there were many unexpected changes and disruptions at MSHP. Events were cancelled and board meetings went virtual. We soon realized that bringing together more than a hundred people in person for our May Committee Day was not feasible. Although Committee Day went from an in-person conference center setting to online on Zoom, our committee volunteers still accomplished the bulk of their work as well as, if not better than, in previous years. Most committee charges were completed on time. This reflects a characteristic of a champion – passionately and enthusiastically fighting for and supporting MSHP, even during times of difficulty.
I would be remiss if I did not specifically highlight the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, led by Rand Sulaiman and Nick Torney. In the spring, during the first wave of COVID, when Michigan was especially hard-hit by the infection, they organized weekly conference calls with infectious disease pharmacists throughout the state. These calls allowed practitioners to share ideas, concerns and questions with each other when so little was known about COVID and how to treat it. This demonstrates the value of our professional organizations, specifically MSHP, in stepping up and providing support that we don’t have when we work alone in our individual practice settings.
During the summer, when it was obvious that COVID was not going away any time soon, we also decided to pivot and change our annual meeting from an in-person event in Grand Rapids, to a virtual conference. Although the Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) has provided numerous webinars over the years, this would be the first time that a pharmacy conference in the state of Michigan would be conducted virtually. Through the champion-quality work of MPA Director of Education Mary Farrington and MSHP Executive Vice President Dianne Malburg, MSHP successfully held its 2020 annual conference in late October in an entirely virtual format. Many attendees appreciated the fact that they did not need to travel to the meeting nor pay for an overnight stay, while at the same time enjoying the program from the comfort of their own home or office. The keynote speaker, Mike Evans from Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania, spoke of their diverse and advanced health-system pharmacy services, including the patient outcomes they have been able to dramatically improve. It was a perfect wrap-up of the MSHP 2018-20 strategic plan. The meeting also provided many more hours of excellent continuing education and the ability to network with exhibitors and other meeting attendees. We were also honored to have Paul Abramowitz, CEO of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), attend the meeting and install our 2021 officers.
Associations like MSHP are the backbone of every profession. They provide education, networking, political lobbying and opportunities to build greater credibility in a profession. Looking back on 2020, it is clear to me that MPA and specifically MSHP achieved those attributes. Together we are now stronger, louder and better. Together, we are pharmacy champions. I look forward now to 2021. Through the leadership of incoming President Becky Maynard, we have an updated three-year strategic plan and an exciting theme for the year – “Embracing and Adapting.” Clearly, MSHP effectively weathered the chaos of 2020 and is prepared now for an even better 2021.
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- PROFESSIONAL & LEGAL AFFAIRS -
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Tech-Check-Tech Wording to be Added to Board of Pharmacy Administrative Rules
Brian De Smet, Pharm.D., M.S., pharmacy specialist, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit
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Two of the key recommendations related to advancing the job roles of pharmacy technicians from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (ASHP PPMI) Summit held in November 2010 were to advance the use of pharmacy technicians, including defining a scope of practice, and to deploy pharmacy technicians for all distributive functions that do not require clinical judgment.1
The Michigan Board of Pharmacy Rules Committee Workgroup is in the process of revising the rules concerning pharmacy technicians, (R 338.3651 – R 338.3665) first introduced in the Michigan Administrative Code in March 2016.2 While the current suggested revisions to the rules have not yet been approved, significant additions to the pharmacy technician rules regarding performance of activities and functions and delegation of duties (R 338.3665) will be included with the draft rule language.3
The following are proposed additions to R 338.3665:
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(a) Reconstituting non-sterile dosage forms consistent with approved labeling provided by the manufacturer of a commercially available product.
(i) A licensed pharmacy technician verifies the work of another licensed pharmacy technician.
(ii) The first-licensed pharmacy technician processes a medication order or prescription.
(iii) The first-licensed pharmacy technician processes the medication order or prescription using bar coding or another board-approved error prevention technology.
(iv) A pharmacist verifies the first-licensed pharmacy technician’s processing of the medication order or prescription.
(v) The technology-assisted final product verification is subject to all of the following requirements:
(vi) The licensed pharmacy technician holds a current full pharmacy technician license in this state, not a temporary or limited license.
(A) The licensed pharmacy technician performing technology-assisted final product verification has completed a board approved pharmacy technician program under R 338.3655.
(B) The licensed pharmacy technician performing technology-assisted final product verification has not less than 1,000 hours of pharmacy technician work experience in the same kind of pharmacy practice site in which the technology-assisted final product verification is performed while he or she holds a current full pharmacy technician license in this state, not a temporary or limited license.
(C) The practice setting where a licensed pharmacy technician performs technology-assisted final product verification has in place policies and procedures including a quality assurance plan governing pharmacy technician technology-assisted final product verification.
(D) The licensed pharmacy technician uses a technology-enabled verification system to perform final product verification.
(E) The technology enabled verification system must document and electronically record each step of the prescription process including which individuals complete each step.
(F) A licensed pharmacy technician shall not perform technology-assisted final product verification for sterile or nonsterile compounding.
(G) Technology-assisted final product verification by a licensed pharmacy technician is not limited to a practice setting.
(H) Except for a remote pharmacy that is regulated under sections 17742a and 17742b of the code, MCL 333.17742a and MCL 333.17742b, a pharmacy technician shall not participate in technology-assisted final product verification remotely. Technology-assisted product verification must be done on-site.
(I) A pharmacist using his or her professional judgment may choose to delegate technology-assisted final product verification after ensuring licensed pharmacy technicians have completed and documented relevant training and education.
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If the draft rule language is approved in the current version, it would allow for Tech-Check-Tech final product verification of medication orders and prescriptions. This added language complements the recommendations of the ASHP PPMI and is a logical extension of a pharmacy technician’s license. The language also permits the pharmacist to dedicate more time to clinically focused activities versus the traditional dispensing role.
Items to note among these revisions are that all compounded products must still have final verification by a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacies must also have barcoding or other board-approved error prevention technology in place before delegating this responsibility to licensed technicians. Additionally, there will likely be experience pre-requisites in the final approved rules that a technician will have to meet in order to qualify.
Following an open public comment period, the rules will move to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) if there are no major revisions. JCAR meets once a month to every other month, depending on the legislative schedule, and is the final step in the approval process. Unfortunately for the many pharmacies eager to institute Tech-Check-Tech programs, the wait will be a bit longer, but the change will likely come sometime next year. Start working on those policies and procedures!
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CMS Releases Guidance on Treatment Coverage
Monoclonal antibody products, which have been approved to treat Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), help the body fight the virus or slow the virus’s growth. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released guidance on insurance coverage for this therapy.
- Medicare beneficiaries have coverage without beneficiary cost sharing for these products when used as authorized or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Medicaid coverage is required in states subject to section 6008(b)(4) of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is currently working on a policy to comply with this requirement.
- Coverage for COVID-19 therapeutics varies among plans subject to the Affordable Care Act market reforms. Most individual and small group market insurance must cover essential health benefits. Essential health benefits generally include coverage for items and services related to the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.
For more information, view the full two-page infographic here or click on the image below.
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- 2020 MSHP PHARMACIST OF THE YEAR SPOTLIGHT -
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Stanley Kent
Stan is the Chief Pharmacy Officer at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor.
Stan says he never intended to become a pharmacist, but he has never for even one day regretted this career choice. He's been a member of MSHP since 2015.
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Describe Your Role/Day In the Life: Responding to emails (about 2 hours); participating in meetings (about 5 hours); mentoring/teaching others (about 2 hours); everything else (1-2 hours). I have an extremely varied and interesting job.
Why You’re an MSHP/MPA Member: I'm a member of MSHP/MPA, because professional organizations advance the profession – it is almost impossible for individuals to do this on their own.
Recent Accomplishments: Leading our team through the COVID pandemic and economic recovery – and we're still in the middle of it.
How MSHP/MPA Has Helped You Achieve Any Accomplishments: MSHP/MPA has connected me with other pharmacy leaders that help by sharing their information and solutions to problems. This was especially true related to this pandemic.
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New Program Aims to Prevent Resident Burnout
Katelyn Dulgar, Pharm.D., PGY1 pharmacotherapy resident,
Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit
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Over the past few years, residency burnout has been a large topic of conversation. Pharmacy residents undergo a significant change from student to pharmacist. With this change comes added responsibility, increased expectations and often more challenges than previously experienced. The demands of residency can seem all-encompassing, and it is during these moments that the resident may begin ignoring their personal needs and start to experience burnout. Organizations, such as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, have published articles and courses to help residency programs learn how to assist their residents during the challenging year(s) of residency.1,2 While there is some guidance available, there are currently no requirements for residency programs to assist their residents with burnout. Considering the current global climate, it is even more important to assess and assist residents, promote personal wellness and prevent burnout.
One way that the Henry Ford Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program is helping their own residents and residents across the country is through their first annual Wellness Challenge. This new program is being coordinated by the post-graduate year two (PGY-2) pharmacotherapy resident with assistance from the PGY-1 pharmacotherapy resident.
The Wellness Challenge started in November 2020 and will continue until June 2021. It is comprised of three portions: the big challenges, steps challenges and social programming. The big challenges include a Cookbook Challenge, a Chillax Challenge and a Virtual 5K. Steps-tracking challenges are to occur multiple times throughout the year. Finally, social programming for the numerous residents will include providing a platform for general discussion among the residents with separate pages to discuss individual challenges.
The Cookbook Challenge requires that the resident make a meal or a dish that is comforting, easy and tasty, or just their favorite dish. The resident then submits their recipe and a picture of their dish. At the end of the challenge, a finished cookbook is distributed to those participating. The intent behind this challenge is to encourage residents to take time to make nutritious food for themselves and to connect with other residents through the shared recipes in the cookbook.
The Chillax Challenge requires that the resident do a specified number of activities on a weekly basis that help them chillax. Examples could be exercising, taking a nap, or catching up with a friend via video chat. The resident will document this activity through a picture and then post it on the social programming website. There are no specific requirements for what the activity is, since the purpose is to encourage the resident to take time for themselves throughout the week to relax and connect with the things that bring them joy.
The challenges culminate in the Virtual 5K. This challenge requires that the resident complete a 5K by running or walking and posting their success on the social programming page. The intent behind this challenge is to help residents remember to take care of their bodies through movement and exercise.
Finally, the steps challenges will take place a few times throughout the year. At the beginning of the week, all participants will receive an email informing them to track their steps that week. At the end of the week each resident will log their steps with the Henry Ford Pharmacotherapy residents. The residents will announce which residency program has won at the end of each steps challenge.
While there is no ideal format that promotes resident wellness, the creation of the Wellness Challenge offers a potential solution. The Henry Ford Pharmacy Residency Program’s Wellness Challenge was created with the intent to connect other residency programs while also helping prevent burnout. Through creating an event that lasts the entire year, residents are prompted to periodically check in on themselves to promote personal wellness when it can be easy to ignore personal needs. Additionally, it allows the residents to form personal connections in a time when it is particularly easy to feel disconnected from others.
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References:
- Hammond DA, Swanson M, and Rech MA. The effect of burnout on postgraduate year-one pharmacy residents’ pursuit of additional training. JACCP. 2019 Dec 25. https://doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1202.
- Hill J, Kelm M, Patel S, Ross C, Stanz L, Sternbach J, et al. Resiliency in residency: identifying, treating, and preventing resident burnout. ASHP e-learning. 2019 May 20. http://elearning.ashp.org/products/7423/resiliency-in-residency-identifying-treating-and-preventing-resident-burnout.
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MSHP Annual Meeting Recap
Stacy Brousseau, Pharm.D., BCPS, emergency medicine clinical pharmacist, Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo
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As is the case with most events held in this latter part of 2020, the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) Annual Meeting looked a little different this year. On Oct. 30, MSHP’s Annual Meeting was held virtually for the first time. Despite the change in format, the programming and organization of the meeting was exceptional. Registrants were able to participate in all the essential activities they have come to know and expect at the MSHP Annual Meeting, including six hours of forward-thinking continuing education, networking with colleagues and interacting with the exhibitors. The meticulous planning by the MSHP Board of Directors and Michigan Pharmacists Association staff resulted in a smooth, interactive and educational meeting for attendees.
The meeting’s educational programming included topics that emphasized this year’s MSHP theme of “Being a Pharmacy Champion.” The keynote presentation featured Mike Evans, R.Ph., FASHP, who is the chief pharmacy officer and vice president of Enterprise Pharmacy at Geisinger. His presentation on Integrated Delivery Networks (IDN) called, “IDN Pharmacy: A Value-based Model,” focused on the components needed to create a value statement in support of the development and expansion of an ambulatory program. Additionally, he highlighted common barriers to the implementation of a large-scale ambulatory clinical pharmacy program, and he discussed strategies to overcome obstacles inherent to the development and expansion of an ambulatory program.
The keynote session was followed by a 15-minute break where attendees could stretch their legs and interact virtually with the program’s exhibitors. Opportunities to network with exhibitors were available throughout the day, including via live exhibitor “booths” and a reverse exhibitor program. The first 15-minute break was then followed by MSHP’s annual Town Hall Meeting.
During the Town Hall Meeting, new board members were sworn in to the MSHP Board of Directors by none other than the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Chief Executive Officer Dr. Paul Abramowitz. Dr. Abramowitz spoke highly of the devoted leaders Michigan has had represent the pharmacy profession at the national level, commending MSHP on their commitment to service and advocacy. The members who were sworn in to the MSHP Board of Directors for 2021 were:
- Rebecca Maynard, 2021 President
- Shawna Kraft, 2021 President-elect
- Stacy Brousseau, Director
- Kyle Schmidt, Director
- Macy Williams, Southeastern Regional Representative (SMSHP)
- Julie Schmidt, Western Regional Representative (WMSHP)
MSHP’s committee chairs were also recognized for their dedication and service this past year, and the 2020 MSHP award recipients were announced and honored for their various contributions to the profession. This year’s award recipients were:
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Pharmacist of the Year: Stanley Kent, R.Ph., MS; Chief Pharmacy Officer – University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers
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Joseph A. Oddis Leadership Award: Jesse Hogue, Pharm.D.; Pharmacy Services Education Coordinator, PGY-1 Residency Program Director, and Emergency Department Pharmacist – Bronson Methodist Hospital
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President’s Award: St. Joseph Mercy Health System, Ann Arbor and Livingston, Department of Pharmacy (Curtis Collins, Jason Hecht, Nina West and David Sudekum)
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Professional Practice Award: Ascension Genesys Hospital Pharmacy Team (Thomas Breeden, Monica Allen, Matthew Rico, Melissa Murphy and David Blair)
Incoming MSHP president Rebecca Maynard, Pharm.D., gave a timely, relevant and realistic address on navigating our roadblocks while progressing forward with our profession and services in a pandemic-stricken healthcare system. Dr. Maynard thus revealed the 2021 MSHP theme of “Embracing and Adapting.” She highlighted that we have been given the opportunity to advance our roles in patient care and population health. In order to progress forward, we need to embrace this opportunity and adapt our current processes to ones that can help us identify patients in need of pharmacist care, find and eliminate health inequities, and optimize medication use.
This year’s educational offerings provided both a leadership/management track and a clinical track for the morning sessions. For the leadership/management session, Dr. Shawna Kraft and Dr. Zachary Smith spoke on “Establishing Pharmacy Professionals in Unique Roles.” Dr. Kraft reviewed gaps, learner opportunities and roles of oncology pharmacists in the ambulatory setting. Dr. Smith additionally described the importance of high-trust relationships in the development of specialty pharmacy services, and he discussed methods to incorporate front line pharmacists in the strategic planning of pharmacy enterprise expansion. For the clinical track, Dr. Brad Haan and Dr. Michelle Sahr enlightened attendees on “Unclouding the Truth Behind EVALI.” Together the speakers explained the presenting signs and symptoms for patients with E-cigarette or Vaping Associated Lung Injury, or “EVALI.” They then discussed literature and guidelines available regarding patient management of EVALI in both the outpatient and inpatient settings.
In the afternoon, both a clinical CE session and a preceptor/residency development CE session were offered to attendees. Dr. Susan Davis and Dr. Lisa Dumkow delivered an excellent, progressive presentation on “Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship at the Transitions of Care.” They described trends in unnecessary antibiotic use outside the hospital setting, identified various opportunities to improve antibiotic use during transitions of care processes, and gave examples of several interventions that could be used to enhance antibiotic stewardship in the ambulatory setting. For the preceptor/residency development programming session, Dr. Sean McConachie and Dr. Raymond Yost gave an informative presentation on “Verifying Validity: Improving the Conduct and Interpretation of Retrospective Research.” The speakers discussed the major benefits and drawbacks of retrospective research designs, which is the most common type of research conducted by pharmacy residents. Additionally, the speakers compared the various propensity scoring methods with regression analyses in retrospective studies, and they described how to evaluate retrospective studies for internal and external validity.
For the final presentation of the meeting, all attendees were joined together in a general session on “Non-Traditional Pain Management – Ketamine Use and Intraoperative Methadone” presented by Dr. Matt Gurka and Dr. Nicole Fabiilli. Dr. Gurka discussed ketamine’s dose-dependent effects, examined practical application concerns with its use, and identified patient populations who may benefit from the use of ketamine to treat pain. In addition, Dr. Fabiilli discussed the intraoperative use of methadone, including its pharmacokinetics and expected postoperative effects. Pharmacist and pharmacy technician attendees were able to claim one hour of Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)-accredited pain management training for this session.
This historic 2020 MSHP Annual Meeting showcased remarkable CE presentations and included several opportunities for networking—all while keeping our members safe via virtual conference attendance. The format of next year’s meeting will depend largely on the state of the pandemic in 2021. However, whether next year’s meeting will be held virtually or in-person, we hope to “see” you there!
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The MSHP Board of Directors would like to thank the following organizations for supporting the MSHP Annual Meeting:
Abbvie Anti-Infectives
Abbvie Immunology
Alexion Pharmaceuticals
Bristol Myers Squibb
BTG Specialty Pharmaceuticals
CenterX
CMP Pharma, Inc.
ConsortiEX
Helmer Scientific
Kedrion Biopharma
Lilly USA LLC
MPA Emergency Preparedness
Melinta Therapeutics
Novo Nordisk
Sanofi Genzyme
Sunovion
Theravance Biopharma US Inc.
Xellia Pharmaceuticals, USA LLC
Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
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- REGIONAL SOCIETY UPDATE -
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Southeastern Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SMSHP)
Jeff Hurren, Pharm.D., medication safety officer, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor
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Greetings from the Southeastern Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SMSHP). I hope that this dispatch finds you well, both physically and mentally. While many are feeling “COVID fatigue” right now, the promising news of vaccine candidates is a light at the end of the tunnel. Now, more than ever, we rely on science to improve our lives and one another to enrich them.
SMSHP has been busy these past couple months. In October, we held our annual Residency Showcase Event. The Showcase was held via Zoom this year, and we had a great turnout. Over a two-day event, 30 programs were represented, including several from outside of Michigan. We also had about 190 residency candidates tune in to the online event. While we hope to return to in-person sessions someday in the future, these “reps” of delivering online content have continued to improve our offerings.
In October, we also held our annual Reverse Vendor Expo. We are very thankful for all of our sponsor partners, for we would not be able to operate without them. The Reverse Expo was hosted on the platform Slack and provided valuable face-time with our local pharmacy leaders and decision-makers.
In November, we presented our yearly awards. While it is always a challenge to choose, we would like to congratulate the following award recipients for 2020:
- Natalie Brikho – Student Scholarship Award
- Annelise Jongekrijg – Student Research Award
- Andrew Torey – Resident of the Year
- Maha Bazzi – Technician of the Year
- Christy Yost – Pharmacist of the Year
- Maggie Faraj & Candice Garwood – Innovative Practice Award
- Marco Scipione – Preceptor of the Year
- Farzad Daneshvar – Committee Service Award
- Madison Irwin & Andrew Smith (2) – Exemplary Resident CE Award
Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a worthy candidate. And thank you to Macey Williams and Lisa Forsyth for leading our Awards Committee this year.
Finally, I am happy to announce the results our elections this fall. Three of our Board positions were open, as we rotate open positions on a staggered basis.
- Macey Williams – President-Elect (3-year term)
- Stephanie Edwin – Board Member (2-year term)
- Alicia Thorne – Board Member (2-year term)
Thanks for all you do daily to keep patients, caregivers, family and yourselves safe.
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Transitions of Care Summit Summary
Amber Martirosov, Pharm.D., clinical assistant professor, Wayne State University, Detroit; Angela Green, Pharm.D., BCPS, ambulatory pharmacy services manager, Mercy Health, Muskegon
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The Transitions of Care Committee hosted a Transitions of Care (TOC) Summit on Oct. 8. This was the first virtual summit the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) held, and attendees came from a variety of backgrounds, including transition of care pharmacists, technicians and administrators. The TOC summit consisted of five speakers and breakout sessions led by TOC committee members.
The keynote speaker was Meghan Swarthout from The Johns Hopkins Health System. She described changes they have made within their health system to improve accountability for pharmacists in relation to medication outcomes, a home visit program and how Johns Hopkins has improved care transitions across the continuum. The TOC summit also featured four additional speakers who provided details on programs at their institutions, including where they have found success and where they still have opportunities to grow. The speakers also provided comments on how their programs use data to drive outcomes and programs; involve students, trainees and technicians in transitions of care; and identify collaborators to support the service. Key takeaways included finding your champions, using data to drive change, and utilizing learners and pharmacy technicians across the continuum of care.
During the breakout session, attendees focused on several questions. Key topics are described below.
Discussion Topic 1: Many health systems are encountering unprecedented challenges and financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the setting of these challenges, discuss the questions below.
It was clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost every corner of the health system structure, and many processes and services have had to be adapted. Many services have transitioned to phone calls and telehealth in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings. Bedside delivery has been reimagined as well as medication history collection. Health systems have been navigating the issue of precepting students remotely and inconsistent internet service in their communities. Strategies that health systems are using moving forward are continued use of telehealth services, having team members – such as an MA – conduct home visits with an internet-equipped device, and changes in coordination with bedside delivery.
Discussion Topic 2: Conduct a Strengths-Weakness-Opportunities-Threat (SWOT) Analysis for the development and implementation of TOC services in the health system setting.
Groups identified strengths of developing a TOC service as a patient-centered service that can help to address health inequities and add value to the patient experience. Weaknesses identified were that implementing TOC services can be difficult, since showing value through traditional measurements and adding resources is challenging at any time, but particularly in our current environment. Development opportunities for a TOC service include partnering with other disciplines, utilizing learners, and advancing pharmacy practice with collaborative practice agreements and provider status advocacy. Threats to developing TOC services were found to be resource constraints, data collection barriers and financial justification.
Discussion Topic 3: Discuss strategies used to increase ambulatory care pharmacist referrals upon discharge from the hospital.
Strategies discussed were to improve communication of services across health systems and to incorporate a referral process. Health systems have targeted core chronic disease states to better identify patients that will benefit from ambulatory pharmacy services. Ambulatory pharmacy services are variable depending on the health system.
Discussion Topic 4: Identify best practices for pharmacy personnel to assist with patient access to appropriate medications and address “fiscal toxicity” (financial burden of healthcare on patients).
Best practices identified to aid with patient medication access were having pharmacy technicians work with patient assistance programs, copay assistance and grant funding. Other key takeaways were to partner with other disciplines, such as providers and social workers, to help cost-effective medications be prescribed upon discharge and to assist with prior authorizations when needed.
MSHP’s Transition of Care Summit proved to be a place of learning and growing, allowing attendees to share ideas, problem-solve and challenge one another to think differently. Resources are limited, so coming up with creative budget-neutral solutions was a common theme. Overall, attendees learned that many of us are working through similar issues. Through coming together, attendees gained insight into new ways of thinking about and addressing challenges to move toward developing and improving TOC services.
Thank you to our speakers, Meghan Swarthout, Ed Battjes, Melvin Leonard, Peggy Devoest, and Staci Joseph. Thank you to our TOC committee members and to MSHP for allowing us to develop and facilitate this summit.
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MPA Annual Convention & Exposition
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Delivery: Virtual
Target Audience: Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, student pharmacists
Requirements Met: Live, pain, patient safety, pharmacy law
Contact Hours: Participants can earn 13 hours of live credit during the virtual event, plus have the ability to earn an additional 15 hours of non-live credit post event.
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OFFICERS
PRESIDENT | Curtis Smith | (517) 364-3579 | Sparrow Hospital and Ferris State University, Lansing
PRESIDENT-ELECT | Rebecca Maynard | (269) 226-6645 | Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT | John Clark | (734) 232-4882 | Michigan Medicine and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
TREASURER | Stephen Smith | (313) 576-8809 | Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | Dianne Malburg | (517) 377-0223 | Michigan Pharmacists Association, Lansing
DIRECTORS
Marla Ekola | (989) 729-4588 | McLaren Health System, Lansing
Nadia Haque | (313) 874-5022 | Genetech, Novi
Jesse Shuster | (313) 966-7811 | Harper University Hospital, Detroit
Jason Williamson | (810) 606-6090 | Ascension Genesys Hospital, Grand Blanc
REGIONAL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES
CENTRAL | Cathleen Edick | (517) 410-8244 | Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Lansing
NORTHERN | Brad Beaman | (231) 935-5000 | Munson Medical Center, Traverse City
SOUTHEASTERN | Jeffrey Hurren | (313) 343-3836 | Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor
WESTERN | Kyle Schmidt | (616) 685-6675 | Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, Big Rapids
MANAGING EDITOR | Mary Beth Wardell | (517) 377-0232 | Michigan Pharmacists Association, Lansing
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The MSHP Monitor is a publication of the Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists, published as a service to its members.
Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists - An Affiliated Chapter of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and a Practice Section of the Michigan Pharmacists Association
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