Hospital clinical pharmacies play a key role in ensuring patients are taking medications effectively and supporting other providers who are managing their care. Mark Riggle, the assistant chief pharmacy officer at UC Davis Health, explains how 340B helps make this direct care and ancillary support possible.
Clinical pharmacies are a bridge between providers and patients
Riggle says clinical pharmacy teams serve as drug experts that can help teach patients about potential side effects and how to take their medications properly. But these teams also can take the lead on supporting other providers on refills, prior authorizations, financial assistance, and more. That allows the other providers to focus less on those processes and more on providing medical care to the patients.
In-house pharmacies can improve patient care and generate revenue
Using an in-house clinical pharmacy has benefits for both patients and the hospital. Riggle notes that keeping prescriptions and pharmacy support in-house can enable hospitals to keep better track of patients’ health and identify if there are issues or questions with certain medications. At the same time, it generates revenue and 340B savings that support even more hospital services and improve patient health outcomes even more.
Ramping up clinical pharmacy services and overcoming barriers can take time
Riggle says expanding clinical pharmacy initiatives at UC Davis Health has come with some challenges. It took years to roll out a refill program for all the providers who needed that support, and achieving success with a prior authorization program involved an evaluation of workflows to improve efficiency. But he noted that hospital pharmacists can present a value proposition to their leaders for how investing in 340B-supported clinical pharmacy services can be worth it to improve care quality and provider satisfaction.
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