INNOVATIVE PRACTICE FORM

Name: Dr. Paul Lofholm

Address: 2 Bon Air Road #130, Larkspur, CA 94939

Phone #: (415) 924 2454

Fax #: (415) 924 2490

E-mail: GGATERX@AOL.COM

INNOVATION: 

Dr. Lofholm graduated from University of California in the mid 1960’s. He eventually joined a practice composed of clinical pharmacists whose vision was to provide pharmaceutical care in the community based upon the type of team care afforded to hospital patients. The group disbanded in 1990 and Dr. Lofholm went into business for himself with the same vision of providing pharmaceutical care in the community.

Presently, he is in involved with three different types of pharmacies that each caters to a specific community sub population. The first of these is an Ambulatory Pharmacy that serves the regular community residents. The second is a Home Infusion Pharmacy that caters to patients on infusion therapy both in long-term care facilities and in their homes. The final type of pharmacy is what he terms a "Closed" pharmacy whose major patrons are patients in institutions like nursing homes and hospitals. This pharmacy is closed to the general public.

Currently, Dr. Lofholm is working on several small projects that encompass the idea of pharmaceutical care. He is 1) developing care models for the treatment of patients with asthma, diabetes, and hypertension 2) developing protocols for general patient care management issues and 3) determining documentation (using Carepoint software), billing, and reimbursement procedures for these cognitive services once rendered.

A final focal point in his practice involves disease management and patient monitoring in conjunction with the patient’s physician. For example, he performs cholesterol and hypertension screenings for patients of a cardiologist that practices in Larkspur. He employs the use of Lifescan and DynaPulse, computer software programs geared toward tracking a hypertension in a patient. He hopes in the future to have similar programs for asthma and diabetes management. He also manages 70 Clozaril Patients for whom he submits WBC counts weekly and charges $15.00/month for the service. Finally, Dr. Lofholm provides consultation for Parkinson’s patients and bills them $60.00/hr. These patients may or may not bill their insurance companies for these costs.

Method of Reimbursement  

Payors: Third party and private pay. 

Reimbursement rate: Based on the complexity of the intervention, if any, and the amount of time spent with the patient.

Documentation: Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA 1500), Pharmaceutical Care Claim Form (PCCF). 

Specialized Training: Pharmaceutical Care training program at USC, Los Angeles.

Software: Carepoint: means of documenting interaction with a patient.  Lifescan & Dynapulse: means of tracking a patient's hypertensive condition over a period of time to assess efficacy of regimen.

INTERVIEWED BY ALWYN MARS 04py