Developing a pharmacist-led Medicaid annual wellness pilot program.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Services Research
• Preventative Care

Background:

• Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) promote preventative care and patient wellness.
• Currently, no equivalent AWVs exist for Medicaid beneficiaries.
• This study investigates the feasibility of implementing Medicaid AWVs in an independent academic pharmacy setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of conducting Medicaid Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) within an academic institution's independent pharmacy.
• To identify the number of Medicaid patients participating in these novel visits.
• To assess the potential for pharmacist-led preventative care services for Medicaid enrollees.

Main Methods:

• A prospective exploratory research design was employed.
• Pharmacists conducted Medicaid AWVs, including point-of-care testing, health risk assessment, and social determinants of health documentation.
• Data collected included patient participation, interventions, recommendations, billable visit rates, economic analysis, and patient satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Six Medicaid AWVs were completed over a 3-month period.
• An average of 9 risks/conditions, 9 interventions, and 4 recommendations were identified per patient.
• Sixty-seven percent of completed visits were billable, with economic analysis suggesting feasibility for a full-time pharmacist.
• Patient satisfaction was very high, with a mean score near the maximum.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacists are well-positioned to deliver Medicaid AWVs due to their accessibility and primary care role.
• Implementing Medicaid AWVs can enhance patient health outcomes and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
• The developed workflow and forms can facilitate pharmacist reimbursement as Medicaid providers.