NACDS Foundation continues to prioritize forward-thinking, patient-centered projects that address gaps in healthcare access, especially in vulnerable and underserved communities. Exploration of new care delivery models to inform transformation of care for pressing public health issues continue to be at the forefront of the Foundation’s research portfolio.
Infectious Diseases: Testing, Prevention, and Treatment
Infectious Diseases: Testing, Prevention, and Treatment
Enhancing Access to Care for Minor Ailments & Routine Healthcare Services
This project supported better access to several routine healthcare services in community pharmacies, reaching more than 950 patients across 46 pharmacies. Results demonstrate meaningful cost savings to the healthcare system and maintained quality compared to other healthcare settings. The most utilized service was evaluation and treatment for urinary tract infections.
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Evaluating Childhood Vaccine Access
Improving healthcare access in rural communities is important to improving health. This project is evaluating the access and uptake of childhood and adolescent COVID-19 vaccines in North Carolina pharmacies during the pandemic through both public health data, and qualitative interviews with pharmacists who have administered pediatric COVID-19 vaccines. This study aims to help inform strategies that advance future access in rural communities.
Expanding HIV Screening and Prevention Access
HIV screening and prevention are highly effective, yet remain underutilized. This project is evaluating the impact of community pharmacies providing HIV screening and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) prescribing in underserved and diverse areas of Southern California, in collaboration with a large regional health plan. Researchers will evaluate feasibility, patient acceptability, and patient retention rate.
Expanding Hepatitis C and HIV Screening and Linkage to Care
Early detection and linkage to care for HIV and hepatitis C are important to improving health outcomes. This multi-state research initiative evaluated the impact of community pharmacy-based access to screening and linkage to care. A total of 612 patients were screened for HIV, identifying five reactive HIV tests. A total of 867 patients received Hepatitis C screenings, resulting in 181 reactive hepatitis C tests. Patients who received reactive screens were provided linkage to care for follow-up testing and evaluation.
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Tuberculosis Testing and Treatment in Community Pharmacies
Early detection and treatment of latent tuberculosis (TB) is important to prevent progression to active TB. This study evaluated implementation of community pharmacy-based TB skin testing, and directly observed therapy for people diagnosed with latent TB. Uptake of the testing service was high and people reported favorable experiences, and people who utilized the directly observed therapy service had high rates of therapy completion.
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Chronic Diseases and Behavioral Health: Screening and Support
Chronic Diseases and Behavioral Health: Screening and Support
Enhancing Access to Nutrition Prescriptions
Given the important connection between nutrition and health, this research is studying the impact of community pharmacies as key access points to nutritious foods. Participating pharmacies are conducting patient evaluations and initiating nutrition prescriptions with the goal of promoting healthier eating and improving overall health. The study will evaluate feasibility, nutrition security, key clinical measures, including A1c and blood pressure, and opportunities for sustainability with health plan partners.
Improving Access to Screening and Support for Behavioral Health & Chronic Diseases
Evidence supports the potential for community pharmacy-based care to improve public health while balancing the rising costs of healthcare. This study is evaluating the feasibility of implementing screening and intervention programs for anxiety, depression, diabetes, and heart disease at community pharmacies, in collaboration with health plan input to support future sustainability.
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Community Partnerships to Address Opioid Use Disorder
This study aims to improve access to screening and linkage to care for opioid and other substance use disorders within 50 community pharmacies across 5 states in partnership with regional health plans. A key aim of this effort is to foster exploration of the sustainability and scalability of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), an important and evidence-based healthcare intervention.
This current research effort applies learnings from successful prior phases of the project. The first phase, conducted in Blair County, Pennsylvania and the second phase, conducted in Allegheny County in collaboration with UPMC health plan, demonstrated feasibility of the intervention across pharmacies in rural and urban areas, respectively. Across both phases, more than 6,000 screenings were conducted across 25 pharmacies.
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News
Optimizing Medication Use to Promote Health
Optimizing medication use helps promote better health outcomes and reduce avoidable healthcare costs. This study is evaluating the impact of broader implementation of comprehensive medication management provided by pharmacists on diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking status. Results to date highlight the feasibility of comprehensive medication management as an important healthcare intervention and other findings support lessons learned on future implementation.
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Closing Gaps in Diabetes Care
Statin therapy is recommended for most people with diabetes to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Yet, many patients who could benefit do not receive it. This project evaluated the impact of community pharmacists prescribing statins for people with diabetes who met clinical criteria through a collaborative practice agreement. Positive trends were discovered, in addition to insights supporting feasibility.
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Wellbeing Across the Health Span
Wellbeing Across the Health Span
Exploring Sustainability of Accessible Patient-Centered Interventions
This study aims to develop statewide learning collaboratives, and a national “community of practice,” that foster sustainability of accessible care interventions at community pharmacies. These collaboratives will engage public and private healthcare partners and experts to share effective practices, identify common problems and solutions, and share resources to better coordinate efforts across the country to improve health.
Pharmacogenomics Testing in the Community
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) and personalized medicine hold promise to transform healthcare. PGx testing can help to optimize medication therapy and improve health outcomes, but is not widely available in the community setting. This research project evaluated the development and implementation of a robust PGx training program for pharmacists and pharmacy students to support readiness for future access to PGx services.
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Pharmacogenomics for Substance Use Disorder in Pregnancy
Optimizing treatment for substance use disorder in pregnant people can help improve health outcomes for both mother and baby. This study is exploring the potential impact of genetics on treatment dosing requirements and the baby’s outcomes, including severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome. Learnings from this research may help inform a personalized medicine approach for the future.
Medication Record Integration
This project supported the convening of a diverse group of public health experts and stakeholders to discuss and explore the successful integration of over-the-counter and prescription medications in the electronic health record to enhance care coordination.