INNOVATIVE PRACTICE FORM

Name Duane Schmaltz

Address 124 South Second Street, Knoxville, IA 50138

Phone # (515) 842-2179

FAX # (515) 842-3580

E-mail/Information service None

Briefly describe innovation

Since February of 1996, Mr. Schmaltz has run his pharmacy, an 11,000-square-foot retail facility, based on the principles of pharmaceutical care. His business, in addition to prescriptions, includes one-hour photo finishing, homeopathic and herbal remedies, giftware, and seasonal and promotional crafts. As are many other pharmacists, he is involved in pharmaceutical compounding, but he is beginning to implement pharmaceutical care, especially in the area of asthma treatment. Knoxville is a former coal-mining town and so has approximately 100 asthma patients. When a new patient first enters his pharmacy, Mr. Schmaltz takes a complete medical history and does a patient workup including drug-drug and drug-food interactions and asthma attack triggers. He informs the patient's physician that he is working on the case, and the town's doctors have been very receptive to the idea. In subsequent visits, Mr. Schmaltz checks the patient's peak flow and follows up on any adjustments he has made to the therapy. He had to deal with several problems, including improper inhaler usage, medication duplication from patients with more than one physician, and self-care, but he is now having some success with controlling his patients' asthma and hopes to have much more.

Method of Reimbursement

Payor(s) Some insurance, but mainly individuals

Reimbursement rate Introductory offer of $200 per year for a minimum of four sessions

Is documentation required? Yes, CarePoint documentation

Specialized training required? Yes, the pharmacists must undergo a home study course of approximately thirty contact hours and then attend a weekend seminar for a total of about sixty hours.

Software/instrumentation required? Yes, CarePoint software out of Charleston, SC. The program allows the pharmacists to enter and maintain patient records, not just for asthma but for any possible disease state. It is a Windows-operated program and allows for blood-pressure monitoring and trend analysis in addition to the aforementioned advantages.

Interviewed by: A. Kelli Johnson