LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 6, 2005) -- The University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy has launched a new unit to help patients understand the medications they take and how to best control chronic illness through proper medication use.
PharmacistCARE Medication Therapy Management Services comprises clinical pharmacists who work as part of the patient’s overall health care team to ensure the best use of medications in the treatment of illness. PharmacistCARE programs encompass a range of services and include initial health assessment, a comprehensive review of the patient’s medications, an individualized medication treatment plan, education and training to enhance the patient’s understanding of medication use, and coordination of the medication therapy management services with the patient’s other health care providers.
The unit is under the direction of pharmacists Amy Nicholas and Holly Divine. Also providing educational and clinical services are pharmacists Carrie Johnson and Mikael Jones. All are on the faculty of the UK College of Pharmacy.
PharmacistCARE currently offers a free program for all adult UK health plan members who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Group educational classes, individual follow-up sessions, a quarterly “Living Healthier with Diabetes” newsletter, and continually updated educational materials are geared toward helping individuals gain the best diabetes control.
The PharmacistCare unit works closely with the patient’s other health care providers to monitor their progress. One such collaboration has been with Dr. Pamela Allweiss, an endocrinologist with the UK College of Medicine’s Department of Family Practice and Community Medicine and the UK College of Public Health. Allweiss has been working with the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the National Diabetes Education Program and says she has seen how important education is for people with diabetes.
“Drs. Divine and Nicholas are so knowledgeable and can relate so well to people with chronic conditions such as diabetes. They can assist their patients with strategies that can help all of the chronic conditions that many people with diabetes may have, such as hypertension and heart disease,” Allweiss said.
PharmacistCARE is an extension of services formerly available through REACH (Raising Energy, Awareness and Campus Health). Cost of participation is provided as part of the UK health benefits package for all employees, retirees and their dependents.
PharmacistCARE consultation offices are under construction on the first floor of the Kentucky Clinic and are expected to open July 1. Current facilities are located on the lower level of Kentucky Clinic South. Services via telephone consultation are being developed for health plan members who live outside the Fayette County area.
Call (859) 323-4742 for more information or to schedule an initial assessment. Program descriptions will be available at physicians’ offices and clinics throughout the UK campus.
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