INNOVATIVE PRACTICE FORM

Name: Julie Eggerman

Address: The Pharmacy
         600 North Main Street
         Taylorville, IL 62568

PHONE: (217)824-3411

FAX: (217)824-3492

Briefly describe innovation:

Pharmaceutical care for hypertensive patients. This is an independent pharmacy with two pharmacists and is housed in a medical clinic. In cooperation with the University of Illinois at Chicago, this pharmacy participated in a study to provide a pharmaceutical care program for hypertensive patients. The study lasted for one year and consisted of approximately fifty patients. Each patient was in the study for six months. Half of the patients were in a control group that received only blood pressure checks at the beginning and the ending of the study, standard medication counseling, and adherence data collected. The other half of the patients were assigned to the study group. The study group were scheduled monthly appointments with the pharmacists. The first appointment lasted approximately forty-five minutes with subsequent appointments lasting fifteen-twenty minutes each. For the study patients, the pharmacists took a medical history, checked blood pressure and pulse monthly, evaluated drug regimen adherence, assessed for adverse drug reactions and other problems, provided lifestyle management counseling, and developed therapeutic plans. The pharmacists had access to the patients' medical charts and lab results from the clinic. The results of the study have not been published yet, so Ms. Eggerman does not know the complete data from the project. However, her impression was that there was considerable improvement for the study patients.

Method of Reimbursement

Payor: the study was funded by a grant from the state (Illinois)

Reimbursement rate: N/A

Is documentation required? N/A

Specialized training required? Yes. The pharmacists underwent training through the University of Illinois at Chicago. They attended workshops, did extensive background readings, and worked in the clinic at the Veteran's Administration Hospital.

Software/instrumentation required? Yes. They purchased stethoscopes, a mercury sphygmomanometer, and an extra desk. They remodeled the cashier counter to have room for a small counseling area.

Interviewed by: Joy Yeager