Delivering a Pilot Smoking Cessation Program through the Patient Portal of an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) at a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)

Pharmacists are providing clinical services in nontraditional practice settings including the patient-centered medical home (PCMH). PCMHs strive to improve patient outcomes in a number of ways, including through innovative use of health information technology (HIT) and by encouraging patients to take an active role in their health care. This paper describes a pharmacist-directed smoking cessation program at a PCMH that utilizes HIT to engage patients in the smoking cessation process and lessons learned from implementation of the program to guide other pharmacists considering implementing a similar program. Secure messaging through the patient portal of the electronic medical record (EMR) can be an effective way to deliver a smoking cessation program for appropriately selected patients and aligns with PCMH standards as the program uses HIT to engage patients in self-management.   Type: Original Researc

Access to Breathing Medications in an Uninsured and Underinsured Patient Population

The purpose of this study was to explore access to breathing medications in an uninsured and underinsured patient population and identify needs for additional medication access resources. Quantitative data were collected from a dispensing report, financial database, and medical records review of patients who filled prescription medications at a charitable pharmacy in Ohio between December 11, 2014 and March 11, 2015, and qualitative data were collected from five semi-structured interviews with patients regarding breathing medication access. A total of 181 patients filled a breathing medication during the study period, which is nearly a quarter of the pharmacy’s patient population. The majority of patients were African American or Caucasian, and almost half were uninsured. Ultimately, the pharmacy had to purchase nearly half of breathing medications provided despite utilizing several medication access routes. Thus, access remains a significant challenge. Efforts are needed to ensure that vulnerable populations can consistently access breathing medications.   Type: Clinical Experienc