Implementation of a transformational plan of care at a Veterans Affairs medical center.

Purpose: A quality of care-focused process improvement initiative undertaken by the pharmacy service at a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center is described.

Summary: In September 2016, near the end of VA's 2016 fiscal year (FY), pharmacy leaders at the medical center held a strategic planning retreat to develop goals and objectives for FY 2017. The retreat was facilitated through use of principles of lean methodology, including "A3 problem solving," and resulted in development of a transformational plan of care (TPOC).

Impact of a Regional Pharmacy Call Center on Telephone Access Metrics Within the Veterans Health Administration.

Purpose: To establish a cost-effective centralized pharmacy call center to serve the patients of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 11 that would meet established performance metrics.

Methods: A pilot project began in August 2011 with the Indianapolis VA Medical Center (VAMC) and the Health Resource Center (HRC) in Topeka, Kansas. The Indianapolis VAMC used a first-call resolution business model consisting of pharmacy technicians receiving tier 1 phone calls that could be escalated to a tier 2 line that consisted of lead technicians and pharmacists, while the HRC utilized general telephone agents that would transfer unresolved calls to the primary facility.