Integrating patient safety and clinical pharmacy services into the care of a high-risk, ambulatory population: a collaborative approach.

Objectives: Lincoln Community Health Center participated in a Health Resources and Services Administration-sponsored Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative aimed at facilitating integration of pharmacy services proven to enhance patient safety into care provided to a high-risk, ambulatory population.

Methods: The Collaborative used the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle of learning from the Model for Improvement endorsed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to guide changes. Outcomes targeted for improvement included medication reconciliation, obesity screening and follow-up planning, adverse drug events (patient safety), and delivery of clinical pharmacy services.