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BACKGROUND: Community pharmacies are critical to the public health infrastructure in the United States and provide reliable information for public health concerns. Public health agencies curate educational materials that community pharmacy teams can disseminate. Student pharmacists participate in experiential learning at community pharmacies which could be utilized for dissemination of these resources. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this project were to: (1) design a model for dissemination of public health information at community pharmacies; and (2) evaluate both the dissemination model's reach within communities and student pharmacist learnings from engagement in the model. METHODS: We engaged student pharmacists in a model to disseminate information at community pharmacies for two Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiatives about Opioid Use Disorder Anti-Stigma and Antibiotic Stewardship Education. The number of pharmacies and student pharmacists who participated from 2021-2023 were retrospectively reviewed to demonstrate programmatic reach. A retrospective text mining of student assignments was conducted to evaluate student experiences. Descriptive statistics were used to report quantitative data. An inductive, rapid content analysis was completed for qualitative data. RESULTS: Across three years, 333 student pharmacists participated. Students reached 121 community pharmacies, 139 practicing pharmacist preceptors, and over 2000 patients with education and resources. Eleven student learning points emerged from the qualitative analysis. These included learnings around opioid use disorder and antibiotic stewardship. Students also acknowledged that there are public health needs present in communities and that community pharmacy teams are well-positioned to address these needs. CONCLUSION: Engaging student pharmacists to distribute curated information from public health authorities, to both pharmacist preceptors and patients at community pharmacies, is one way to educate future pharmacists, pharmacy teams, and communities on public health priorities. Pharmacies can serve as key venues in communities for dissemination of reliable public health information.

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OBJECTIVES: To identify strategies community pharmacists utilized to support equitable vaccination in their communities. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative, descriptive design. METHODS: Key informant interviews were conducted virtually via teleconference using a mix of purposeful and snowball sampling of Pennsylvania community pharmacy personnel who participated in COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Interviews were conducted from March until August 2022 when thematic saturation was reached. A qualitative, inductive thematic data analysis was utilized to identify major themes and strategies that emerged from the data. RESULTS: Pharmacists utilized three philosophies: (1) prioritizing trust, (2) meeting people where they are at, and (3) building capacity within their teams and communities to create "safe spaces" for people to receive vaccinations. Nine discrete strategies used in practice exemplify how respondents implemented these philosophies: (1) Build Community Partnerships; (2) Establish Trust to Build Credibility; (3) Address Transportation Issues; (4) Provide Patient Education and Address Health Literacy Barriers; (5) Address Language Barriers; (6) Create a Safe and Accessible Space for Those with Individualized Needs; (7) Provide Patient-Centered and Culturally-Sensitive Care; (8) Train Staff on Health Equity and Patient Engagement; and (9) Advocate for Community Pharmacy Policy and Payment Reform. Definitions for these philosophies and key examples that illustrate how each strategy was employed in practice are provided. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight unique strategies respondent community-based pharmacy teams use to contribute to equitable vaccination efforts in communities and further emphasizes the importance of their role in public health initiatives.

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BACKGROUND: Clinically integrated networks of community pharmacies are expanding partnerships with health care payers for sustainable provision of patient care services. The Pennsylvania Pharmacists Care Network (PPCN), a part of CPESN USA, launched its first payer program in 2017 with a Medicaid managed care organization for comprehensive medication management (CMM). Some PPCN pharmacy teams have participated in Flip the Pharmacy, a national practice transformation initiative. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine whether pharmacy participation in Flip the Pharmacy was associated with a greater rate of CMM encounters than in nonparticipating pharmacies within a statewide clinically integrated network. METHODS: This project was a retrospective quantitative study. CMM encounter data including total number of encounters and total number of eligible members were extracted from monthly reports. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess the association between Flip the Pharmacy participation and CMM encounter rates. RESULTS: Of 103 pharmacies that participated in the CMM program in 2019 and 2020, 77.7% of pharmacies (n = 80) were included in analyses. Of these, 31.3% (n = 25) participated in Flip the Pharmacy. Overall, 80 pharmacies documented 8460 patient encounters through the CMM program. On average, pharmacies participating in Flip the Pharmacy recorded 1.67 times the rate of encounters compared with non-Flip the Pharmacy pharmacies (95% CI 1.10-2.54), controlling for single versus multiple pharmacy sites and weekend hours. On average, pharmacies participating in Flip the Pharmacy recorded 1.18 times the rate of initial encounters (95% CI 0.84-1.59) and 2.06 times the rate of follow-up encounters (95% CI 1.22-3.48) compared with non-Flip the Pharmacy pharmacies. CONCLUSION: Participation in Flip the Pharmacy in Pennsylvania was associated with greater engagement and completion of encounters within a payer program for CMM. Continued practice transformation efforts are needed to ensure the sustainability of community pharmacy practice as it continues to expand into payment for patient care services.

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BACKGROUND: Flip the Pharmacy (FtP) is a nationwide initiative to scale practice transformation in community pharmacies. Participating pharmacies are coached through monthly practice transformation initiatives and document their patient-care activities through Pharmacist electronic Care (eCare) Plans. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to identify peer coaching strategies to facilitate practice transformation in Pennsylvania community pharmacies. METHODS: This was a qualitative study using semistructured interviews with practice transformation coaches and pharmacy champions participating in Pennsylvania's FtP program. The interview guide was informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and elicited information using the intervention characteristics, inner setting, characteristics of individuals, and process domains. Interviews were conducted in person or via telephone over a 3-month period. An inductive qualitative thematic analysis was performed to identify coaching strategies. RESULTS: A total of 18 key informants were interviewed: 6 pharmacy champions and 12 practice transformation coaches. The following 5 coaching strategies emerged: (1) learn to use the pharmacy's specific Pharmacist eCare Plan software, (2) build a trusting relationship with the pharmacy, (3) engage all pharmacy team members in practice transformation, (4) adapt communication strategies to the pharmacy's preference, and (5) tailor goals to the pharmacy's stage of practice transformation. CONCLUSION: This study elicited 5 peer coaching strategies to support community pharmacy practice transformation initiatives. These findings can be used to further practice transformation efforts in community pharmacies through FtP and other initiatives aimed at expansion of community pharmacy patient care services.

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The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a podcast miniseries to reduce stigma surrounding opioid use disorder (OUD) among student pharmacists. Students in their second and third professional years from two schools of pharmacy listened to five, 10-23 min podcasts incorporated into their coursework. The podcasts highlighted: (1) interviews with OUD professionals and those with lived experiences; (2) types of stigma and how it affects health outcomes; (3) OUD disease state processes, and (4) harm reduction strategies. Surveys assessed changes in perception of OUD and its associated stigma and included free-response and Likert scale questions. Subjects (n = 121) who completed a pre- and post-podcast survey were included. Paired t-tests assessed changes in survey responses from baseline and a content analysis was performed on all free-responses. There was a statistically significant change from baseline for each survey question, demonstrating a decrease in stigma towards OUD. Free-responses were categorized into four learning domains: (1) Impact of stigma on access to care; (2) Compassion and empathy; (3) Resources and support; and (4) Call to action. Podcasts can be an effective tool to reduce student pharmacist stigma associated with OUD.

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BACKGROUND: The Appointment-Based Model (ABM) is a care model that helps community pharmacists streamline their medication dispensing workflow while simultaneously integrating patient care into the medication preparation process through medication synchronization. Implementation of the ABM has varied across community pharmacies. Further studies that identify tailored implementation approaches are needed to support broad adoption of the ABM in practice. OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine facilitators and barriers to ongoing adoption and implementation of the ABM at a small chain of rural independent pharmacies where adoption has stalled and (2) to identify implementation strategies to support further adoption of the ABM at these pharmacies METHODS: This project was an exploratory, mid-implementation study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with pharmacy staff who participated in the ongoing implementation and use of the ABM at the pharmacies. Interviews elicited stakeholder-centered perspectives on (1) experiences with the ABM to date, (2) processes and roles for the ABM, and (3) opinions on how implementation of the ABM could be improved at the pharmacies. Rapid qualitative assessment methodology was used for analysis to identify facilitators and barriers and to select implementation strategies. RESULTS: Thirty-one pharmacy personnel were interviewed: pharmacists (n = 10), pharmacy technicians (n = 7), and fill clerks (n = 14). The research team identified 6 facilitators and 4 barriers to the implementation of the ABM at the pharmacies. Five implementation strategies were selected based on the facilitators and barriers: (1) capture and share local knowledge across pharmacy sites, (2) conduct educational outreach visits, (3) conduct ongoing training, (4) prepare patients to be active participants in the ABM, and (5) organize clinician implementation team meetings. CONCLUSIONS: Development of a stakeholder-driven implementation approach may support further implementation and adoption of the ABM in practice.

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In 2017, the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Care Network (PPCN), an enhanced pharmacy services network, and STRAND Clinical Technologies partnered to launch a payor contract with a Pennsylvania Medicaid Managed Care Organization for the provision of comprehensive medication management (CMM) at PPCN pharmacies. PPCN and the Community Leadership and Innovation in Practice Center at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy partnered to create the Quality Engagement Team (QET), a group of student pharmacists formed with the intent to support the initial implementation of this contract. The QET supported the pharmacies through biweekly phone calls, which led to increased pharmacist engagement and produced impactful patient encounter stories that were then reported back to the payor. We utilized Active Implementation Frameworks and select implementation strategies from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change project throughout the implementation period. The QET supported the successful implementation of this payor contract, which saw an increase in CMM encounters completed by the pharmacists during each month of the four-month contract period. Students, pharmacists and the payor each derived meaningful benefits from this initiative. Student pharmacists can be a powerful asset in the implementation of payor programs within an enhanced pharmacy services network, resulting in the mutually beneficial and sustainable support of the network.