INNOVATIVE PRACTICE FORM

Name: Orsula Thomas, PharmD, CDE
Address: Center for Pharmaceutical Care at Amherst
693 Main St. Box 56 Lumberton, NJ 08048
Phone: (609) 267-6575
FAX : (609) 261-9584
E-mail/Information service: ovthomas@AOL.com

Briefly describe innovation

The Center for Pharmaceutical Care at Amherst is a pharmacy that focuses on providing pharmaceutical care for patients with disease states. It was a community pharmacy for 30 years, but now only provides dispensing services for long-term care and hospice patients. Calvin Knowlton, 1995-1996 president of the American Pharmaceutical Association, is president of The Center for Pharmaceutical Care at Amherst. The center employs 5 pharmacists. The patients come by referral from the physician. The pharmacist obtains the patients medical history and does a thorough assessment of any drug-related problems experienced by the patient before education. Services at The Center for Pharmaceutical Care at Amherst include the following:
1. Asthma Education
2. Diabetes Education
3. Hypertension Education (e.g. pharmacists teach patients methods of home blood pressure monitoring)
4. Operation of an anticoagulation clinic in a nursing home (with patients > 90yo) The center is also involved in a Phase IV clinical trial for an anticoagulation clinic; pharmacists actively monitor PTT and adjust doses accordingly.
5. Specialization in Women's Health and HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) A grant was recently received by the center to determine how to help women in the decision making process.
Method of Reimbursement

Payor(s): mostly charge the patients directly, some third party- NJ recently passed a law requiring insurance companies to pay for diabetes education.

Reimbursement rate: patients are charged by quarter hour ($70/hour)

Is documentation required? Yes
Pharmacists follow guidelines of The American Diabetes Association for Diabetes Education. Patients need a letter of medical necessity and a referral from a physician.

Specialized training required? Yes
Pharmacists need certification from The Diabetes Education Center. NJ Pharmacists Association in conjunction with Temple University offer a course in Diabetes Education. The cost is $1,000 for a 4-day course including both pre-work and post-work. Half of the money goes to the education process while the other half goes to the network.

Software/instrumentation required? No

Interviewed by: Stacey White