Lessons Learned from Using Global Outcome Measures to Assess Community Pharmacy Performance.

Introduction: As value-based and alternative payment models proliferate, there is growing interest in measuring pharmacy performance. However, little research has explored the development and implementation of systems to measure pharmacy performance. Additionally, systems that currently exist rely on process and surrogate outcome measures that are not always relevant to patients and payers.

Care team perspectives on community pharmacy enhanced services.

Objectives: To determine the awareness, collaboration, and perceived values and barriers of enhanced pharmacy services from care managers and primary care practice responders.

Methods: An electronic questionnaire was sent to 1648 primary care practices and 600 care managers that work in 76 North Carolina counties containing an enhanced-service community pharmacy. Questionnaires were distributed in January 2017 and responses collected for 7 weeks.

Supporting Community Pharmacies with Implementation of a Web-Based Medication Management Application.

Objective: Community pharmacists' role in clinical care is expanding in the United States and information systems are needed that extend beyond a dispensing workflow. As pharmacies adopt new systems, implementation support will be needed. This study identifies the barriers and facilitators experienced by community pharmacies in implementing a Web-based medication management application and describes the implementation strategies used to support these pharmacies.

Description of drug therapy problem resolution in a statewide care management program.

Objective: To describe drug therapy problem (DTP) resolution as part of a statewide, team-based care management program.

Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of DTPs documented between March 1 and August 31, 2015. Data were retrieved from a Web-based platform 5 months after the observation period.

Community pharmacists' attitudes toward providing care and services to patients with severe and persistent mental illness.

Objectives: To assess community pharmacists' attitudes toward working with patients who have severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) and to identify perceived barriers to providing care and services to this population.

Design: This study was a cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists in North Carolina. The questionnaire, which was distributed electronically, included demographic questions about the responder and pharmacy in which they practiced, Likert-type scale questions assessing pharmacists' comfort and attitudes towards working with patients with SPMI, and barriers preventing provision of care.

Implementing an integrated care management program in community pharmacies: A focus on medication management services.

Objectives: To describe the initiation of a community pharmacy medication management service within a statewide integrated care management program.

Setting: One hundred twenty-three community and community health center pharmacies in 58 counties of North Carolina.

Practice Description: Independent and community health center pharmacies offering medication management as part of an integrated care management program to Medicaid, Medicare, dually eligible Medicare-Medicaid, and NC Health Choice beneficiaries in North Carolina.

A+KIDS, a web-based antipsychotic registry for North Carolina youths: an alternative to prior authorization.

Objective: The rise in use of antipsychotics among U.S. children is well documented.

Evaluation of a novel web-based prior approval application for palivizumab prophylaxis of respiratory syncytial virus in a state Medicaid program.

Background: Recent disproportionate increases in use of specialty medications, such as palivizumab (Synagis), compared with steady utilization of traditional medication use, have prompted complex utilization management strategies that require frequent evaluation to facilitate cost-effectiveness while preserving patient access. Clinical criteria utilized by North Carolina (NC) Medicaid for use of palivizumab for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prophylaxis are consistent with the most recent guidelines published in the Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. Prior to the 2011-2012 RSV season, prior approval (PA) requests were submitted by facsimile using the NC Medicaid Synagis PA form.

Effects of a new sterile product preparation and delivery process on operational efficiency and cost.

Purpose: Process changes in a hospital pharmacy's batch preparation of sterile products to reduce product and human resource waste are described.

Summary: The pharmacy information system and direct observation were used in the collection of data on the existing i.v.

Inpatient medication reconciliation at admission and discharge: A retrospective cohort study of age and other risk factors for medication discrepancies.

Background: Medication discrepancies are unintended differences between medication regimens (ie, between a patient's home regimen and medications prescribed on admission to the hospital).

Objective: The goal of this study was to describe the incidence, drug classes, and probable importance of hospital admission medication discrepancies and discharge regimen differences, and to determine whether factors such as age and specific hospital services were associated with greater frequency of medication discrepancies and differences.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of a random sample of adult patients admitted to the general medicine, cardiology, or general surgery services of a tertiary care academic teaching hospital between July 1, 2006, and August 31, 2006.