Implementation of pharmacist-led tele medication management clinic in ambulatory care settings: A patient-centered care model in COVID-19 Era

Barriers to person-centered service design in pharmacy practice: examples, lessons, and potential solutions

Despite increased attention to, and frameworks conceptualizing person-centered care, systematic, organizational, and provider-level barriers continue to discourage the development and delivery of person-centered care (PCC) in pharmacy practice and beyond. This commentary describes existing pharmacy-specific literature related to PCC, barriers to PCC within the context of pharmacy practice, and potential solutions to increase person-centeredness in pharmacy services. Literature to substantiate and describe barriers and potential solutions was identified from 2008 to 2023, a period where the emphasis on PCC in pharmacy practice dramatically increased. Overall, pharmacy-specific literature was identified describing four key barriers to PCC. Several potential solutions were identified, including: using innovative and theory-informed approaches to collecting individual need and preference information, employing processes and equipping providers to facilitate trust, changing organizational culture, and aligning quality metrics and financial incentives with PCC. Identified solutions may be used to address individual, organizational, and systematic barriers to promote PCC.

Telepharmacy Implementation to Support Pharmaceutical Care Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

Background

Telepharmacy was effectively applied for remote pharmaceutical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives

To determine the implementation of telepharmacy services to support pharmacists in providing pharmaceutical care during the pandemic.

Data Sources

Seven electronic databases were searched from inception to June 2021: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica database (Embase), Web of Science, Proquest, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Study Selection and Data Extraction

The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with the PROSPERO registry of systematic reviews. Reports of original research investigating the implementation of telepharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic were retrieved. Researchers screened the title and abstract of each article, and then evaluated the full text of eligible articles to identify studies that met the inclusion criteria. Pharmacists' responsibilities and actions were classified in relation to the International Pharmaceutical Federation guideline for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Extracted data included study characteristics, pharmacists' interventions delivered through a telepharmacy system, and the benefits of telepharmacy implementation.

Data Synthesis

The database search yielded 1400 articles. After removal of duplicates and articles not meeting the specific inclusion criteria (n = 1381), a total of 19 relevant original research articles were reviewed. According to these studies, telepharmacy was used to perform remote medication review and optimization, assess medication adherence, dispense and deliver medications, educate and counsel patients, promote disease prevention, collaborate with health care providers, and monitor treatment outcomes.

Conclusions

This study highlighted the use of telepharmacy services to support pharmacists' activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Randomized clinical trials are needed to investigate the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of telepharmacy services.

Attitudes of Family Medicine Trainees Towards Patient-Centeredness Practice

Objective

The interaction between physicians and patients is essential in clinical practice. Patient-centered care (PCC) is becoming popular in healthcare and provides an approach to deliver high-quality healthcare to yield positive clinical outcomes. This study explores family medicine residents' attitudes toward the physician-patient relationship and patient-centered care and the possible influence of demographic characteristics, level of training, school of graduation, and previous training.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among family medicine residents in Riyadh. They were invited to enroll in a web-based survey that includes demographic data, training details, and the "Patient Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS).".

Results

A total of 114 family medicine residents completed the survey. There were 68 (59.6%) males and 46 (40.4%) female residents. The overall PPOS was 4.23 ± 0.53. The mean score for sharing domain was 3.97 ± 0.66. The caring domain scored 4.49 ± 0.57. No correlations were found between the residents' demographic data and other included variables, and the means of sharing domain, caring domain, and overall score.

Conclusion

Family medicine residents were found to have positive attitudes toward patient-centeredness. Integrating patient-centered training early in the curriculum can improve healthcare students' and trainees' attitudes toward patient-centered care. Future research can explore the possible interventions in systematic assessment and training programs that can improve PCP.

Implementation of Pharmacist-led Telepsychiatry Services: Challenges and Opportunities in the Midst of COVID-19

Over the last few decades, healthcare systems worldwide have seen many transformations, and one of the most significant transformations is the adoption of telemedicine. Its rapid and wide adoption has created an entirely different set of healthcare experiences. The healthcare field has vastly benefited from integrating technology and patient care. Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) has implemented several telehealth models as a response measure to overcome challenges in access to patient care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article describes the implementation of pharmacist-led telepsychiatry services utilized to provide several psychiatric services such as counseling patients, ensuring the appropriateness of medications prescribed, conducting therapeutic drug monitoring, and making clinical interventions to ensure a safe and effective therapy. By utilizing this newly integrated telepsychiatry model, pharmacists have continued to remain an integral part of improving patients’ health outcomes and overall patient experience for psychiatric patients.