Patient Experiences at Enhanced-Service Pharmacies in Iowa

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Services Research
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Evolving payment systems are expanding the role of community pharmacists beyond dispensing to active patient care.
• The impact of pay-for-performance models on patient experiences with enhanced pharmacy services is not well understood.
• Wellmark's Value-Based Pharmacy Program (VBPP) in Iowa incentivizes pharmacists for quality performance through capitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient perspectives on the quality of enhanced pharmacy services and pharmacies within the Value-Based Pharmacy Program (VBPP).
• To explore patient experiences with pharmacists providing care under a value-based payment model.

Main Methods:

• Conducted telephone interviews with 25 patients from 6 community pharmacies in the VBPP.
• Participants were adults (21-90 years) with Wellmark coverage, on multiple medications for chronic conditions, and receiving enhanced services.
• Utilized a structured interview guide and thematic analysis of semi-structured interview transcripts.

Main Results:

• Patients perceived pharmacists as reliable, responsive, knowledgeable, and trustworthy.
• Enhanced pharmacy services, including medication synchronization and immunizations, were accessible and rated as high quality.
• Most patients expressed positive views on service quality and accessibility, with privacy not being a major concern.

Conclusions:

• Patients generally reported positive experiences with enhanced pharmacy services and perceived pharmacies favorably.
• A significant finding was the limited patient understanding of the expanded clinical role of pharmacists.
• Further research is needed to explore patient perceptions of pharmacists' contributions to health maintenance.