Pharmacy Students and Residents Empowering Patients to Self-Monitor and Set Goals to Achieve Positive Health Outcomes

The Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio (CPCO) and the Ohio State College of Pharmacy have partnered for more than eight years to care for vulnerable patients in Franklin County. Through this partnership, more than 6,000 patients have received more than 400,000 medications valued at more than $32 million. In addition, more than 300 students and 11 pharmacy residents have participated in patient care and learned how to improve care for uninsured and underinsured patients. The patient care model at CPCO provides an opportunity for patients to talk with a pharmacist, pharmacy resident, or pharmacy student at each pharmacy visit. The patient's medications are discussed, any medication-related problems are identified, the patient's doctor is consulted if necessary, and the patient is provided with education and resources to help with better utilization of the medications. Because many patients at CPCO have common chronic disease states including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease, self-monitoring is an important aspect of care. Utilizing funding from a grant, the pharmacy team at CPCO is able to distribute blood glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, body weight scales, and pedometers to patients who qualify based on their disease states. Patients are being asked to record their blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, and activity readings and bring the results to their subsequent pharmacy visits. Patients are also being asked to work with the pharmacy team to set personalized goals that can help them better utilize their self-monitoring devices and better manage their disease states. Based on the success of the patient care model, student pharmacists and pharmacy residents are implementing this new program and incorporating the program into the care of patients at CPCO. They are creating a training tool that discusses techniques that can be used to engage patients and help them set goals. They are also developing patient education resources that can be given to patients to help them reach their goals. Preliminary data will be presented describing the educational program, the devices that were distributed, and the patients’ perceptions of the program.