Columbus Air Force Base medication profile intervention practice innovation

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Medication Management
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Community pharmacists play a crucial role in medication management.
• Effective communication between pharmacists and prescribers is vital for optimizing patient therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess prescriber perceptions of pharmacist-initiated medication therapy recommendations delivered via fax.
• To determine the acceptance rate of these pharmacist recommendations by prescribers.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted at Columbus Air Force Base.
• Pharmacists reviewed 57 patient profiles with complex medication regimens.
• Medication management reports with recommendations were faxed to primary care providers.

Main Results:

• The medication management fax intervention achieved a 64.9% prescriber response rate.
• 97.3% of responding prescribers found the pharmacist recommendations helpful.
• Most prescribers indicated they would address recommendations at future patient visits or appointments.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacist-initiated medication management faxes are perceived as helpful by prescribers.
• This intervention demonstrates potential for improving collaboration and patient care.
• Increased prescriber awareness of the program may enhance future response rates.