GESTIÓN EN SALUD PÚBLICA: Covering Indian Country

martes, 20 de agosto de 2019

Covering Indian Country – August 2019

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Covering Indian Country

Nine pharmacy staff members, each wearing gloves and holding up a syringe.

Serving nearly 20,000 patients who represent more than 220 different tribes, Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC) is committed to doing all it can to enhance access to care.

To that end, in 2015, OKCIC Pharmacy established a program to help increase vaccination rates. Over the next 3 years, the pharmacy implemented the program with the support of clinic providers, various departments at OKCIC, and interns from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma Colleges of Pharmacy.

OKCIC Pharmacy’s efforts have certainly paid off. Today, more than 90% of OKCIC’s adult immunizations are administered in the pharmacy, freeing up hundreds of hours for providers in OKCIC’s medical and nursing departments. Additionally, the pharmacy’s process of screening and vaccinating patients is so streamlined that patients’ wait times for new prescriptions remain the same as, or shorter than before.

"Patients know that the pharmacy is their first stop if they need a vaccination."

– Jennifer Pham, PharmD, OKCIC Director of Pharmacy

In recognition of its success, earlier this year, OKCIC Pharmacy received an Immunization Champion Award at the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, and an Immunization Excellence Award at the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit in Atlanta, GA.

“Prior to 2015, our adult vaccination rate was not very high, and patients were unaccustomed to pharmacists administering their immunizations,” said Jennifer Pham, PharmD, OKCIC Director of Pharmacy. “Through the pharmacy’s collaborative approach to process improvements, patients are now very receptive to the pharmacy meeting all of their immunization needs.”

That change in patients’ mindset is partly due to the pharmacy’s ongoing efforts to maintain a strong community presence. “We attend multiple health fairs, evening diabetes programs, and community events to offer vaccinations to patients who may not be able to make it to the pharmacy during normal business hours,” Pham said.