The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of community pharmacist-managed transitions of care on 30 day readmission rates of patients identified to be at high risk for hospital readmission. The secondary objective is to measure the overall total cost of care for these patients in anticipation of an accountable care organization model. Many acute care hospitals are focusing on improving patient safety during care transitions in order to decrease hospital readmission rates. Medication-related issues contribute to significant problems during transitions, resulting in an opportunity for pharmacists to help improve the quality of patient-care. The bulk of existing models have limited the role of pharmacists to the inpatient setting. Since patient safety spans the entire continuum of care, further research is needed to assess the value of implementing community pharmacists in transition of care models. We as a community pharmacy need to find and demonstrate our value in order to create a sustainable model as we move to the future.
Applicant:
Joshua Feldmann
RPh PharmD
Mercy Medical Center