Clinical Pharmacology & Biopharmaceutics
Open Access

Abstract

Charges for medication-related hospitalizations and Emergency Room visits among the elderly in rural counties of Hawai?i add up to about $60 million per year. We, at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy believe that by advancing the role of the community pharmacist and improving collaboration and communication with hospital pharmacists, we can both lower these costs and improve patient care. The ?Pharm2Pharm? program is designed to reduce medication-related hospitalizations and ER visits among the elderly in three rural counties in the State of Hawai?i- Hawai?i Island, Maui and Kauai, where according to Hawai?i Health Information Corporation, there were more than 15,000 medication-related ER visits and more than 700 medication-related hospitalizations among elderly in 2010. This project involves a formal hospital pharmacist to community pharmacist collaboration designed to address gaps in care among elderly patients at risk as they transition from hospital to community settings. It is designed to leverage the accessibility of community pharmacists in rural areas and provide pharmacist collaboration across the continuum of care. The program includes pharmacist review of the medication reconciliation, pharmacist coordinated medication management, the integration of pharmacists into in-patient and out-patient care teams, and payment restructuring for pharmacy services. This program aligns with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation?s mission to transform health insurance programs through improvements in the health care system resulting in better care, better health and reduced costs.

Biography

Anita E. Ciarleglio is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, and is based on the island of Maui at Maui Memorial Medical Center. She received her bachelor?s degree in pharmacy from St. Louis College of Pharmacy, and her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from St. Louis University School of Medicine. She is licensed as a registered pharmacist in Hawaii. After receiving her Ph.D. she performed postdoctoral work under a National Institute of Health training grant at St. Louis University School of Medicine and at the University of Miami School of Medicine.