Collaborative drug therapy management policy implementation: Lessons learned by community pharmacists and other health care providers

Few studies have examined the impact of how scope of practice policies authorizing pharmacists to perform patient care services collaboratively with other providers are implemented in community pharmacy settings. These case studies examine barriers, facilitators and lessons learned from three sites where pharmacists and providers perform collaborative drug therapy management (CDTM) to improve patient health outcomes. In-depth qualitative case studies were conducted in three community-based pharmacy practice settings in Arizona, Iowa and North Carolina from May-July 2012. Sites were selected using three criteria: 1) duration—whether CDTM was newly implemented vs. well established; 2) access—of the practice environment (e.g., chain pharmacy) by the intended population; and 3) scope—of CDTM services provided. We conducted site visits and collected information using audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews and written notes with key informants (i.e., pharmacists, physicians, administrators, and other staff). Key themes emerged for implementing successful collaborative care: (1) developing trust and support through networking to increase buy-in among medical professionals. (2) partnering with academic institutions and pharmacy residency programs to enable pharmacies to deliver more care to more patients; (3) establishing informal collaborations between pharmacists and other providers (i.e., drug therapy recommendations), to maintain high-quality patient care when formal collaborations were not feasible; and (4) the importance of compensating pharmacists for CDTM services. Other facilitators and barriers will be presented during this session. These case studies of practices implementing CDTM policies show promise for improving patient health outcomes. The findings can be used to strengthen implementation strategies for CDTM services.