A distinctive competency

Characteristics Valued by the Pharmacy Practice Community When Hiring a Recently Graduated Pharmacist

“…Identification of such traits in students applying to pharmacy school could allow the admission and development of students who may be qualified to excel in a management or leadership setting. 14 In reviewing the traits overall, it is interesting to observe those which consistently were not valued in the top 5 attributes. For example, while the ability to use the literature is an area often strongly emphasized by faculty members as a critical skill for a new graduate, it was rarely chosen as 1 of the top 5 desirable characteristics listed by pharmacists from the 4 practice groups.…”

Payment for Clinical Pharmacy Services Revisited

“…The relevance of the optometry model to pharmacy was noted by one author, who observed that if the unbundled model is appropriate for dispensing eyeglasses, it should also work for dispensing pharmaceuticals, "with all of the potential risks, not to mention wasted resources that an ill-fitted prescription can have on a patient." 14 As with optometry, pharmacy provider status will require legislative change. Clinical pharmacists should be recognized as freestanding providers of medication management services, ideally by being designated as providers under Medicare Part B.…”

“…There are six fundamental elements that must be in place to ensure payment. 14,19,20 These elements, summarized as a checklist below, can help pharmacists define their role and seek recognition and payment for clinical pharmacy services. The checklist can be applied to any proposal for services in the Affordable Care Act, including participation in medical homes, community health teams, accountable care organizations, and applying for MTM grants, or designing programs for medication reconciliation or discharge planning.…”

Overcoming inertia: Achieving more-rapid transformation of pharmacy practice

“…When we examine the unique role that pharmacists have in the health system, it is clear that a very strong knowledge base of drugs and therapeutics is critical, but only if it is applied effectively within a system of care to change patient outcomes. The "distinctive competency" of pharmacists that Dave Kvancz 21 wrote of in his Webb Lecture is how well we can apply this knowledge to provide direct care to patients and to influence medication safety and outcomes. Clearly, our experiential component in pharmacy education has been inadequate in modeling a pharmacist's optimal practice.…”