NACDS, PSW support Wisconsin rule on optimizing patient pharmacy care
Patients will enjoy greater access to pharmacist-provided health and wellness services as a result of rules now in effect in Wisconsin.
Supported by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, the rules, which were advanced by Wisconsin’s Pharmacy Examining Board, allows pharmacists more time to counsel patients on medications, provide vaccinations, screen for such illnesses as flu and strep throat, and the management of such chronic conditions as diabetes and hypertension.
“NACDS appreciates the collaboration of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin in the research, training, and advocacy that have led to this important advancement for patients in Wisconsin. PSW’s work means a great deal here, and it also will contribute leadership for similar advancements across the nation,” NACDS president and CEO, Steve Anderson said.
In addition, the rules improve pharmacists’ ability to delegate more tasks to other pharmacy staff, including pharmacy technicians, the organizations said.
“These new rules will advance the care available to patients throughout Wisconsin, including chronic care and acute care. They reduce barriers that have stood in the way of improvements to patient outcomes. Pharmacists and pharmacy personnel look forward to doing even more to improve the health and wellness of patients,” Sarah Sorum, PSW interim CEO said.
The rules also have been validated by extensive research, including one study published in March 2019 by the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association that involved the collaboration of PSW, NACDS, and other pharmacy organizations.
The article related to that research stated, “The most salient impact of the team-based task delegation was its effect on patient care and the mindset of pharmacy personnel on their approach to providing care for their patients. Specific effects were increased pharmacist-patient interaction time, increased delivery of clinical services, decreased wait times, and improved overall efficiency in medication distribution service. The use of this model, which moves pharmacists from a product-centered to a patient-centered role, is timely because demand increasingly exists for quality convenient care services in the community pharmacy. Pharmacists indicate a propensity toward delivering such services, and patients desire more time with their pharmacists. Similarly, a trend toward improved patient satisfaction also follows task delegation and has been noted in the medical literature."
The initiative also builds upon an NACDS supported demonstration pilot in Wisconsin to broadly permit pharmacy technicians to perform “product verification” – a process that engages pharmacy technicians in confirming the accuracy of the product that is being dispensed. It also allows pharmacists to maintain responsibility for all aspects of dispensing which require clinical skill or judgment. Research shows that such processes maintain the reliability of prescription accuracy while empowering pharmacists to assist patients with additional clinical services.
NACDS has created an Optimizing Care microsite that provides access to extensive research, implementation resources, and training materials. NACDS’ portal includes PSW resources, including its Technician Product Verification Implementation Toolkit and its Technician Product Verification Didactic Training.