It Can No Longer Be Optional-Medical Billing in the PharmD Curriculum.

Pharmacists across the United States are rapidly gaining the ability to bill the medical benefit, increasing their ability to optimally and sustainably contribute to patient care. Medical billing is the process by which a provider submits a claim for reimbursement to the medical insurance benefit based on services provided to a patient. As pharmacists lean into new and expanding opportunities related to medical billing, pharmacy educators must also prepare graduates who can explain the importance of and execute skills related to medical billing.

Examination of differences between actual and potential revenue generation in a pharmacist-run ambulatory clinic.

Background: Pharmacists are not billable health care providers under Medicare Part B or most insurance plans. Because of this, pharmacist services are relegated to incident-to-provider billing, despite pharmacists routinely providing services high in complexity. This discrepancy may negatively skew perceptions of pharmacists' contributions to outpatient clinic care.

Assessment of non-time-intensive changes to a management course to address course evaluation scores.

Background: Student-completed course evaluations are often included in university faculty promotion and tenure packets but may not be the best metrics for student learning. This juxtaposition creates a challenge - the metric faculty first want to improve is student learning rather than student perception, but course changes improving student learning do not always result in higher course evaluation scores. Additionally, making course changes can be time consuming for faculty.

Student personality type and preferred rounding methods in an internal medicine advanced pharmacy practice experience.

Background: Pharmacy students completing Internal Medicine rotations may be exposed to different stylistic approaches from providers on routine activities like patient rounds. This may be beneficial as students can learn in different ways. Conversely, extensive exposure to approaches that do not suit them may hinder student learning or lead students to feel they don't belong in a clinical setting.

Words matter: Comments in support of diagnosis education in pharmacy.

Diagnosis education is explicitly included in the Draft Accreditation Standards 2025 and should be wholeheartedly supported. To address the staggering number of diagnostic errors in the US, the National Academy of Medicine advocates for diagnosis education for all health professions. Misperceptions of pharmacists' involvement in diagnosis are exacerbated by use of implicit language and euphemisms, and it's long overdue that we provide clarity.

Using the Kirkpatrick model to evaluate a sepsis escape room for advanced pharmacy learners.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use the first three levels of the Kirkpatrick Model to evaluate the effectiveness of a simulation center-based escape room activity designed to positively influence student learning.

Educational Activity And Setting: In this simulation, learners solve puzzles related to care of a critically ill patient. This activity was assessed via an assessment questionnaire (Kirkpatrick level 1), a pre/post learner knowledge quiz and learner self-assessment of skills and attitudes (Kirkpatrick level 2), and unstructured observation of learners upon return to the clinical environment (Kirkpatrick level 3).

Community Pharmacy Credentialing for Medical Insurance to Facilitate Sustainability in COVID-19 Testing.

In April 2020, pharmacists were added as medical providers under Idaho Medicaid in response to recent scope expansion for pharmacists and to increase beneficiaries' access to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing and services. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted expedited Medicaid enrollment for pharmacists but did not address coverage of medical services provided to privately insured individuals for pharmacy-based testing services. This study aimed to describe processes used by independently owned, community-based pharmacies in Idaho to credential with private insurers and report outcomes.

Patient Satisfaction with Pharmacist-Provided Health-Related Services in a Primary Care Clinic.

(1) Background: Patient satisfaction plays an important role in the perceived value, sustained utilization, and coverage of healthcare services by payers and clinics. (2) Methods: A 33-question survey was designed to assess patient satisfaction and perceived value for healthcare services provided by a clinical pharmacist in a single primary care facility. It included general items from validated patient satisfaction surveys (i.

Assessing Pharmacists' Views and Barriers to Providing and Billing for Pharmacist-Provided Health Care Services.

The role of Idaho and Alaska pharmacists in providing health care services has steadily broadened over recent years. With many new pharmacist-provided health care service possibilities, this study assessed the impact of these advancements on community pharmacies. The objective of this study was to identify current pharmacist-provided health care services and pharmacist-perceived barriers to providing and billing for these services in Idaho and Alaska community pharmacies.

Establishment of a Framework to Support Multi-Faceted Initiatives for Pharmacy-Practice Transformation: Lessons Learned.

We describe the first two years of a multifaceted, five-year program to support sustainable pharmacist-provided health services in Alaska. In 2018, the Alaska Pharmacists Association funded the Sustainable Education and Training Model under Pharmacist as Providers (SETMuPP) to train and support pharmacists to navigate the insurance medical billing process for nondispensing healthcare services. The SETMuPP employed a three-pillar implementation approach: (1) training and practice support infrastructure, (2) PharmD curriculum augmentation, and (3) advocacy and legislative support.

Developing sustainable workflows for community pharmacy-based SARS-CoV-2 testing.

Background: The coronavirus disease Rapid Antigen Testing Expansion Program (Program) employed a drive-thru model to maximize pharmacy staff and the public's safety.

Objectives: To quickly design, implement, and disseminate a pharmacy-based point-of-care testing program during a public health crisis.

Practice Description: Community pharmacies in Idaho were engaged in the state's public health efforts to boost severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 testing statewide.

Influencing the future of rural-focused pharmacy education: Identifying factors pertinent to pharmacy practice in rural health environments.

Introduction: To identify themes regarding the skills used on a regular basis by pharmacists practicing in rural areas.

Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative survey was administered to pharmacists working in a non-clinical capacity in rural community and hospital practice. Pharmacists were identified in conjunction with departments of experiential education, boards of pharmacy, and other rural health experts.

Implementation of a pharmacogenomics service in a community pharmacy.

OBJECTIVE To determine the feasibility of implementing a pharmacogenomics service in a community pharmacy. SETTING A single community pharmacy that is part of a regional chain known for offering innovative pharmacy services. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION Community pharmacists at the project site routinely provide clinical pharmacy services, including medication therapy management, immunizations, point-of-care testing, blood pressure monitoring, and diabetes education.

An integrated approach to research and manuscript development.

Purpose: A stepwise process for planning, writing, and submitting a research manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal is described.

Summary: The research project and writing-related activities should be conducted concurrently along a clear timeline developed with input from all members of the writing team. Issues of conformance to standards of scholarly publishing (e.

Redesign of a large lecture course into a small-group learning course.

Objective. To describe the redesign of a large self-care course previously delivered in a traditional lecture format to a small-group case-based course.Design.

Making pharmacogenetic testing a reality in a community pharmacy.

Objective: To provide information for community pharmacies considering implementation of a pharmacogenetic testing service.

Setting: A single community pharmacy from a regional chain.

Practice Description: Community pharmacists at the study site routinely provide pharmacy services including medication therapy management, immunizations, point-of-care testing, blood pressure monitoring, and diabetes education.

Rural health in pharmacy curricula.

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act proposes strategies to address the workforce shortages of primary care practitioners in rural America. This review addresses the question, "What specialized education and training are colleges and schools of pharmacy providing for graduates who wish to enter pharmacy practice in rural health?" All colleges and schools accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education or those in precandidate status as of December 2011 were included in an Internet-based review of Web sites. A wide scope of curricular offerings were found, ranging from no description of courses or experiences in a rural setting to formally developed programs in rural pharmacy.

The effect of community pharmacy-based interventions on patient health outcomes: a systematic review.

Many studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects that pharmacist-provided patient care services can have on patient health outcomes. However, the effectiveness of patient care services delivered by pharmacists in community pharmacy settings, where organizational barriers may affect service implementation or limit effectiveness, remains unclear. The authors systematically reviewed the literature on the effectiveness of pharmacist-delivered patient care services in community pharmacy settings in the United States.

Prospective student pharmacist interest in a rural pharmacy curriculum.

Objective: To determine prospective student pharmacists' interest in a rural pharmacy health curriculum.

Methods: All applicants who were selected to interview for fall 2011 enrollment at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy were invited to participate in a Web-based survey. Questions addressed participants' willingness to participate in a rural health pharmacy curriculum, interest in practicing in a rural area, and beliefs regarding patient access to healthcare in rural areas.

Exploratory planning and implementation of a pilot pharmacogenetic program in a community pharmacy.

Aim: To describe the exploratory planning and implementation of a pilot pharmacogenetic program in a community pharmacy. An institutional review board-approved protocol for a clopidogrel pharmacogenetic program in a community pharmacy was developed to address feasibility and evaluate the pilot program.

Study Concept: Subjects taking clopidogrel are asked to participate at the point of medication dispensing.