INNOVATIVE PRACTICE FORM

Name: Dan Fucarino, RPh

Address:  Caroway Pharmacy
          10205 Lake Carol Way
          Tampa, FL  33618

Phone # (813) 961-8798

E-mail/Information service: (813) 962-0092

Briefly describe innovation
Don Fucarino owns his own independent retail pharmacy. He has various services to bring in customers such as fax machines, photo copiers, UPS, and hospital supplies. Also, he does compounding and direct billing to insurance companies. He specializes on asthma counseling especially the use of nebulizers and has a separate counseling room set aside specifically for this purpose. He does not charge patients for this service at this time. Although he has tried to get reimbursement for this service from insurance companies, he has been unsuccessful. Also, he is on a committee with the American Pharmacy Association to start a program in which the participants will be certified in asthma counseling. He will be one of the trainers who will train the trainers that teach the program offered through the American Pharmacy Association. Participants in the asthma program will be sent a twelve-hour preparation kit. Afterwards, they will be sent a test on this material. If a participant makes 70% or better on the test, he or she will be allowed to attend the asthma training seminar in which they will receive certification for asthma counseling.

Method of Reimbursement

Payor(s) and Reimbursement rate: He offers this service as part of filling a new prescription for an asthma patient or to any of his other asthma patient that desires help in managing their asthma. Therefore, he does not charge for this service at this time. He has tried unsuccessfully to get reimburesement from the insurance compaines.

Is documentation required? Yes
Documentation is required as a part of the TOM (Therapeutic Outcomes Maintenance) program in Florida.

Specialized training required? Yes
He took a class offered through the University of Florida on asthma counseling. He attended this class for a total of eight days to receive his certification in asthma counseling.

Software/instrumentation required? No
He is not set up with any type of software at this time. At present, he only has patients' chart, and he uses flow charts in his counseling sessions.

Interviewed by: Kelli Pierce