It takes more than medicine...

 
Med Mgmt Jun 22

HoG Enhanced Comprehensive Care Through Medication Therapy Management

By Leigh Carpenter, RPh, Vice President of Pharmacy Operations

Published June 6, 2022

 

As part of Hemophilia of Georgia’s exceptional, comprehensive care for people with inherited bleeding disorders, clients of HoG and Beacon pharmacies expect and receive high quality care from our Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Pharmacist and clinical care team. As a member of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team, the MTM pharmacist collaborates with nurses, social workers, prescribers, and other healthcare providers to help clients manage their medications, providing clients the highest quality of care possible to improve their health outcomes.

To achieve this, the Clinical MTM pharmacist provides one-on-one telephone consultations with pharmacy clients. All new clients receive an initial pharmacy assessment prior to starting therapy. During this consultation, the pharmacist reviews all medications the patient is taking in addition to bleeding disorder therapies. This is called a drug reconciliation and it is one of the ways we are able to provide specialized and tailored services to our clients at no extra cost. Prescribed factor and non-factor bleeding disorder medications are also reviewed to include dosage, directions for use, and storage. Any other medical conditions should be discussed as well, along with listing any drug allergies. When clients call in to refill a prescription, the pharmacy staff will ask for updates on weight changes, new medications started, new allergies, and any new medical conditions. If there are new products prescribed or any changes in current therapy, an assessment is done again. The MTM Pharmacist also conducts reassessments every six months for clients using our pharmacies.

The Clinical Care Team provides a multidisciplinary approach to better serve our clients by streamlining the process for new client intake, treatment plans, and hospital discharge planning. The team consists of an MTM Pharmacist, Clinical Nurse Coordinator, Accounts Receivable Specialist, Director of Social Work, Director of Nursing, MTM Pharmacy Technician, and administrative support staff. Each team member provides their expertise to ensure client needs are met in an effective and efficient manner. The team is also a direct source of contact for the medical teams we support at our Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs) across the state. These are just some examples of why at Hemophilia of Georgia we always say, ”It takes more than medicine!”