Taos Pharmacy and the Holy Cross Hospital pharmacy department are participating in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Patient Safety & Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative (PSPC), a national initiative aimed at improving patient safety for the poor, uninsured and underserved. The participants in the collaborative are "committed to saving and enhancing thousands of lives a year by achieving optimal health outcomes and eliminating adverse drug events through increased clinical pharmacy services for the patients we serve." To ensure that patient care becomes the safest and best possible, HRSA is studying leading practices in patient safety, clinical pharmacy services and health outcomes. The goal is to replicate those leading practices across HRSA-funded health care providers and their partners using a collaborative model based on the methodology of the Institute for Health Care Improvement. Clinical pharmacy services are patient-centered services that promote the appropriate selection, utilization, and monitoring of medications to optimize individual therapeutic outcomes. Clinical pharmacy services include services such as medication reconciliation, disease state management, medication therapy management, and access to medications.

The focus population for Taos Pharmacy and Holy Cross Hospital Pharmacy are patients with diabetes that are uninsured or underinsured. Using primarily the clinical pharmacy services of access to medications, medication reconciliation and medication therapy management, the goal is to improve health care for diabetic patients in the Taos area. It is believed that increased involvement by pharmacists Jake Mossman and John Hutchinson will result in better control of blood glucose levels and greater adherence to established diabetes standards of care. Diabetes standards of care are aimed at reducing the risk of the health consequences of diabetes which include heart disease, blindness and kidney failure. Services will be provided to diabetes patients who need assistance paying for diabetes medications and testing. Access to medications will be provided through combined state, local and manufacturers' patient assistance programs. Medication use will be reconciled and reviewed for duplications and drug interactions. Adverse events and possible adverse events resulting from medication use will be identified and recommendations made to avoid adverse drug events. Diabetes monitoring will be used to assess the effectiveness of therapy and adjustments made to improve therapy outcomes.

Pharmacists Jake Mossman and John Hutchinson are committed to this time-intensive approach to patient management through clinical pharmacy services to help exhibit the positive effect pharmacists can have on patient safety and improved health care. The activities of the PSPC are only part of the scope of clinical services envisioned by Jake and John. Other state and local initiatives are also being planned and will be announced as they develop. Call Jake Mossman at the Total Health and Wellness Center, (575) 737-5810, Dr. John Hutchinson or Tanya Gonzales, pharmacy technician, at Holy Cross Hospital Pharmacy Department, (575) 737-3374.

Reference: http://www.hrsa.gov/patientsafety.

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