UC Davis Health: Specialty Pharmacy Accredited

female doctor with patient in a roomApril 12, 2017 via UC Davis Health Newsroom:

The Specialty Pharmacy at UC Davis Health has been accredited through 2020 by URAC, an independent nonprofit organization and national leader in promoting health-care quality through accreditation, certification and measurement.

The accreditation recognizes the Specialty Pharmacy for the highest level of commitment to quality care, improved processes and better patient outcomes.

“It’s necessary for specialty pharmacies to provide a higher level of treatment for patients so desired outcomes are achieved,” said URAC President and CEO Kylanne Green. “With URAC accreditation, people know that UC Davis Health’s Specialty Pharmacy strives to adhere to industry best practices.”

John Grubbs, chief of the Department of Pharmacy Services at UC Davis, began the journey of establishing specialty pharmacy services at the medical center seven years ago. The approach brings pharmacists and medical providers together to work collaboratively to deliver the best patient care.

After developing and implementing the first specialty program in the area of transplant, programs in oncology, hepatology, neurology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, dermatology, infectious diseases, cardiology and, most recently, pulmonology, were created. Over the years, these programs have cared for more than 2,000 specialty patients and have improved outcomes.

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Helping Patients Afford Care

November 22, 2016 via CBS 13:

It’s one of two programs around the state, and it’s right here in Sacramento at the UC Davis Medical Center.

The Specialty Program launched six years ago to help monitor transplant patients and help them afford medical treatment. The program has expanded in the last two years to help other patients with high-cost prescriptions.

“This little baby is gonna save my life,” said Linda Martinez, motioning to her prescription bag.

For the first time since being diagnosed with Hepatitis C 22 years ago, Martinez is now getting treatment.

“I feel so blessed,” said Martinez.

Martinez was diagnosed in 1994 after using a dirty needle to feed her heroin addiction. Since then, she hasn’t been able afford the anti-viral drug she needs to cure her Hepatitis C.

That all changed when Martinez came to UC Davis....

To read more on CBS 13's website, click here.

November 16, 2016 via CURE:

Every night, before going to bed, Karen Roberts, of Washington, D.C., reaches for her pill container on her night table and takes eight pills prescribed by her doctors. They include Arimidex (anastrozole), an aromatase inhibitor to help keep her breast cancer at bay, and Effexor (venlafaxine), an antidepressant that has proven to be effective against night sweats, a common side effect of Arimidex. This simple routine has kept Roberts, who is in her late 50s, on track, or adherent, with her medication regimen.

Adherence is commonly understood to mean taking medications as prescribed on a regular basis, including following instructions concerning timing and dosage. Although adherence has become a way of life for Roberts, numerous studies have shown that many cancer patients struggle to follow the rules, even as the use of oral, take-at-home anticancer drugs becomes more common. Estimates vary considerably as to the extent of the problem; a comprehensive review of the literature published in the Oncologist in 2016 placed adherence at between 46 and 100 percent. Most of the findings are based on self-reports from patients and caregivers, the use of electronic pill-counting devices, and medical claims data — all approaches that have their inherent flaws. Despite the best efforts of researchers, the bottom line is that it’s extremely difficult to know the precise level of nonadherence....

To read more on CURE's website, click here.

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MD Magazine

February 23, 2016 via MD Magazine:

Treating a complicated condition like multiple sclerosis can require help from a variety of people in order to provide patients the best care possible. At UC Davis this approach includes a pharmacist on the clinic floor who can also help patients after hours.

While many people think of pharmacists as someone standing behind a counter filling prescriptions Andrea Derlet, PharmD, said the because patients can not only put a face with her name and also call her at all hours with questions about their medications it can help them feel better about their treatment process as a whole. Derlet added that she has developed her own systems to help organize not only patient needs but also specific information about the various medications they may be prescribed as part of their care.

To read more on MD Magazine's website, click here.