Findings From a National Survey of Older US Adults on Patient Willingness to Use Telehealth Services: Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: Telehealth (telemedicine and telepharmacy) services increase access to patient services and ensure continuity of care. However, few studies have assessed factors that influence patients' willingness to use telehealth services, and we sought to investigate this. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine respondents' (aged between 45 and 75 years) willingness to use telehealth services (telepharmacy and telemedicine) and the correlates of the willingness to use telehealth services. METHODS: We administered a cross-sectional national survey of 1045 noninstitutionalized US adults aged between 45 and 75 years in March and April 2021. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to identify demographic and health service use correlates of self-reported willingness to use telehealth services. RESULTS: Overall willingness to use telemedicine was high (674/1045, 64.5%). Adults aged 55 years and older were less willing to use telemedicine (aged between 55 and 64 years: odds ratio [OR] 0.61, 95% CI 0.42-0.86; aged 65 years or older: OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.22-0.49) than those younger than 55 years. Those with a regular provider (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1-1.02) and long travel times (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.03-2.98) were more willing to use telemedicine compared to those without a regular provider and had shorter travel times, respectively. Willingness to use telemedicine services increased from 64.5% (674/1045) to 83% (867/1045) if the service was low-cost or insurance-covered, was with their existing health care provider, or was easy-to-use. Overall willingness to use telepharmacy was 76.7% (801/1045). Adults aged older than 55 years were less willing to use telepharmacy (aged between 55 and 64 years: OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.38-0.86; aged 65 years or older: OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.15-0.37) than those younger than 55 years. Those who rated pharmacy service quality higher were more willing to use telepharmacy (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03-1.09) than those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents were generally willing to use telehealth (telemedicine and telepharmacy) services, but the likelihood of their being willing to use telehealth decreased as they were older. For those initially unwilling (aged 55 years or older) to use telemedicine services, inexpensive or insurance-covered services were acceptable.

Evaluation of a community-based pharmacy resident-led continuous glucose monitoring program within a family medicine clinic.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacist-driven continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is associated with reduced hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and achievement of daily glycemic goals. Community-based pharmacists are well-positioned to improve CGM uptake among patients with diabetes due to their accessibility and expertise. However, little data exists evaluating the outcomes of CGM services led by a community-based pharmacist. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a community-based pharmacy resident-driven CGM service on HbA1c, revenue, and patient satisfaction. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Independent community pharmacy sharing a clinical services agreement with a primary care clinic for Postgraduate Year One (PGY1) Community-based Pharmacy Residents to provide patient care under general supervision of the physician. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Patients were offered CGM services if they were 18+ years with an HbA1c > 7.0% and had insurance coverage for CGM. Enrolled patients engaged in three months of pharmacist-led appointments for CGM application, data interpretation, diabetes education, and lifestyle management. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 99211, 95250, or 95251 were billed based on each encounter. HbA1c values were collected at program enrollment and conclusion. Patients completed a satisfaction survey at program conclusion. EVALUATION METHODS: Demographics and billed CPT codes were collected from the electronic health record. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were included. A mean reduction of 1.2% occurred in HbA1c (n = 12; 9.7%-8.5%). Forty CPT codes were billed, generating $3671.40 of revenue. Satisfaction surveys were collected for 50% of participants (n = 9). Most were satisfied with the CGM service and its individual components (n = 8, 89%). Most were willing to continue using CGM devices and receive diabetes education from a pharmacist (n = 8, 89%). CONCLUSION: A community-based pharmacist-led CGM service demonstrated a reduction in HbA1c and generated revenue for the clinic. Patients reported satisfaction and willingness to continue the service.

Patient Willingness to Use a Pharmacy-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening Service: A National Survey of U.S. Adults.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to understand U.S. adults' willingness to use a pharmacy-based fecal immunochemical test (FIT) distribution service for routine colorectal cancer screening called PharmFIT using Diffusion of Innovation Theory, evaluating patient's appraisals of the program's relative advantage, compatibility, and complexity. METHODS: From March to April 2021, we conducted a national online survey of 1,045 U.S. adults ages 45 to 75. We identified correlates of patient willingness to use PharmFIT using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: Most respondents (72%) were willing to get a FIT from their pharmacy for their regular colorectal cancer screening. Respondents were more willing to participate in PharmFIT if they perceived higher relative advantage ($\hat{\beta}$= 0.184; confidence interval, CI95%: 0.055-0.325) and perceived higher compatibility ($\hat{\beta}$ = 0.422; CI95%: 0.253-0.599) to get screened in a pharmacy, had longer travel times to their primary health care provider ($\hat{\beta}$ = 0.007; CI95%: 0.004-0.010). Respondents were less willing to participate in PharmFIT if they were 65 years or older ($\hat{\beta}$ = -0.220; CI95%: -0.362 to -0.070). CONCLUSIONS: Most U.S. adults would be willing to participate in PharmFIT for their routine colorectal cancer screening. Patient perceptions of the relative advantage and compatibility of PharmFIT were strongly associated with their willingness to use PharmFIT. Pharmacies should account for patient preferences for these two traits of PharmFIT to increase adoption and use. IMPACT: Pharmacy-based colorectal cancer screening may be a viable public health strategy to significantly increase equitable access to screening for U.S. residents.

The Report of the 2022-2023 AACP Professional Affairs Standing Committee: Focused Integration of Community-Based Pharmacy Practice Within the AACP Transformation Center.

The 2022-2023 Professional Affairs Committee was charged to (1) Devise a framework and 3-year workplan for the Academia-Community Pharmacy Transformation Pharmacy Collaborative to be integrated within the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Transformation Center. This plan should include the focus area(s) to be continued and developed by the Center, potential milestone dates or events, and necessary resources; and (2) Provide recommendations on focus areas and/or potential questions for the Pharmacy Workforce Center to consider for the 2024 National Pharmacist Workforce Study. This report provides the background and methodology utilized to develop the framework and 3-year workplan focused on (1) community-based pharmacy pipeline development for recruitment, programming, and retention, (2) programming and resources for community-based pharmacy practice, and (3) research areas for community-based pharmacy practice. The Committee offers suggested revisions for 5 current AACP policy statements, 7 recommendations pertaining to the first charge, and 9 recommendations pertaining to the second charge.

Support for Pharmacist-Provided HPV Vaccination: National Surveys of U.S. Physicians and Parents.

Background: State laws about pharmacists providing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines vary considerably, limiting many pharmacists' ability to provide this important cancer prevention service. We characterized physician and parent support for pharmacist-provided HPV vaccination for adolescents who are past due for vaccination.Methods: In 2014 to 2015, we conducted two national U.S. surveys of 776 primary care physicians (PCPs) and 1,504 parents of adolescents. Respondents indicated the extent to which they supported pharmacist-provided HPV vaccination for 13- to 17-year-olds who are past due. Respondents could endorse the provision unconditionally, or only if certain conditions were met, such as pharmacists receiving proper vaccination training. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess correlates of support.Results: Most physicians (79%) and parents (81%) endorsed pharmacist-provided HPV vaccination if pharmacists had received proper vaccination training, reported vaccine doses to adolescents' PCP, and referred adolescents to PCPs for other health services. Family medicine physicians were more likely than pediatricians to support trained pharmacists providing HPV vaccination [OR = 1.62; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-2.22]. Support was also higher among physicians who practiced in Western states (OR = 2.11; 95% CI, 1.30-3.40). Parents' odds of endorsing trained pharmacists provision of HPV vaccine increased with higher overall satisfaction with their pharmacy's services (OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19), belief in pharmacists' competence in vaccination practices (OR = 1.42; 95% CI, 1.18-1.70), and overall vaccine confidence (OR = 1.30; 95% CI, 1.15-1.48).Conclusions: To increase support for HPV vaccination services, pharmacists should raise awareness about their immunization training and standardize vaccination protocols that ensure coordination with primary care.Impact: Stakeholders' feedback and buy-in is important to help guide expansion of HPV vaccination in pharmacies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(8); 970-8. ©2018 AACR.

Pharmacies versus doctors' offices for adolescent vaccination.

PURPOSE: We sought to understand the relative advantage of pharmacies compared to doctors' offices for delivering HPV vaccination to adolescents. METHODS: Participants were a national sample of 1500 U.S. parents of adolescents ages 11-17 recruited in 2014-15. In an online survey, items informed by Diffusion of Innovation Theory assessed parents' perceptions of the relative advantages of HPV vaccine delivery in pharmacies and doctors' offices. PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: Many parents believed doctor's offices offered a better health care environment than pharmacies, with more privacy (77%) and a safer place for vaccination (70%). However, many parents also believed pharmacies were more accessible than doctors' offices, requiring less time for vaccinations (71%) and offering more convenient hours (59%). Parents were more willing to get their children HPV vaccine from pharmacists if they indicated more relative advantages in vaccine delivery in pharmacies (ß = .29; p < .001) and believed patient accessibility more important than health care environment (ß = .20; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: To be more appealing to parents as HPV vaccine providers, pharmacy providers within community and hospital settings should build on their relative advantage with respect to accessibility and enhance their appeal of their healthcare environment.

Service quality and parents' willingness to get adolescents HPV vaccine from pharmacists.

We sought to examine whether pharmacy service quality was associated with parents' willingness to have immunizing pharmacists administer human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to their adolescent children. Participants were a national sample of 1504 US parents of adolescents ages 11 to 17 who completed an online survey in 2014. Analyses used structural equation modeling. Parents rated service quality and feelings of satisfaction with their pharmacies as moderate to high. Many (44%) were willing to get HPV vaccine from immunizing pharmacists for their adolescent children. Compared with parents who went to chain pharmacies, parents who went to independent pharmacies gave higher ratings of service quality (professionalism, confidentiality, milieu, all p < .001). Parents who went to clinic pharmacies, compared with parents who went to chain pharmacies gave lower ratings for milieu (p < .01). Parents who went to independent pharmacies had lower willingness to get HPV vaccine from pharmacists compared to parents who went to chain pharmacies (p = .001), but there was no difference in willingness for parents who went to clinic versus chain pharmacies. Service quality and satisfaction partially mediated the effect between independent pharmacies compared to chain pharmacies and willingness (p < .05). Parents who knew their pharmacists or expressed more confidence in HPV vaccine also had higher willingness to get their children HPV vaccine from pharmacist. Many parents were willing to go to immunizing pharmacists for their children's HPV vaccination. Pharmacies that are considering offering HPV vaccine may be able to improve vaccine uptake by increasing perception of service quality.

Parents' willingness to get human papillomavirus vaccination for their adolescent children at a pharmacy.

Pharmacies are promising alternative settings for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination because of their accessibility and existing infrastructure for vaccine delivery. We sought to examine parents' willingness to get HPV vaccination for their children at pharmacies. In 2014, we conducted a national, online survey of 1255 parents of 11- to 17-year-old adolescents in the United States. We used multivariable logistic regression to model parents' willingness for getting HPV vaccinations in pharmacies. Overall, 29% of parents would be willing to get HPV vaccine for their children at a pharmacy. Parental willingness was associated with believing that pharmacists are skilled at administering vaccines (OR=2.05, 95% CI:1.68-2.51), HPV vaccine was at least as important as other adolescent vaccines (OR=1.48, 95% CI:1.10-1.98), and getting vaccines in pharmacies would give children more opportunities to get health care (OR=2.17, 95% CI:1.63-2.89). Parental willingness was also more common among parents of adolescents ages 13-17 or who had already initiated the HPV vaccine series. Parents most often indicated that they would like to learn about HPV vaccination in pharmacies from their children's doctor (37%). Offering HPV vaccine in pharmacies may increase uptake as a meaningful number of parents would get the vaccine for their children in these settings. Physician referrals for completing the HPV vaccine series may serve as an important source for increasing awareness of and demand for adolescent vaccination services in pharmacies.

Parents who refuse or delay HPV vaccine: Differences in vaccination behavior, beliefs, and clinical communication preferences.

BACKGROUND: We sought to estimate the national prevalence of HPV vaccine refusal and delay in a nationally-representative sample of parents of adolescents. We also compared parents who refused versus delayed HPV vaccine in terms of their vaccination beliefs and clinical communication preferences. METHODS: In 2014 to 2015, we conducted an online survey of 1,484 US parents who reported on an 11- to 17-year-old child in their household. We used weighted multinomial logistic regression to assess correlates of HPV vaccine refusal and delay. RESULTS: Overall, 28% of parents reported that they had ever "refused or decided not to get" HPV vaccine for their child, and an additional 8% of parents reported that they had "delayed or put off getting" HPV vaccine. Compared to no refusal/delay, refusal was associated with lower confidence in adolescent vaccination (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-0.91), lower perceived HPV vaccine effectiveness (RRR = 0.68, 95% CI, 0.50-0.91), and higher perceived harms (RRR = 3.49, 95% CI, 2.65-4.60). In contrast, delay was associated with needing more information (RRR = 1.76, 95% CI, 1.08-2.85). Most parents rated physicians and information sheets as helpful for making decisions about HPV vaccination, although parents who reported refusal endorsed these resources less often. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that HPV vaccine refusal is common among parents of adolescents and may have increased relative to previous estimates. Because the vaccination beliefs and communication preferences of parents who refuse appear to differ from those who delay, targeted communication strategies may be needed to effectively address HPV vaccine hesitancy.

Provider communication and HPV vaccination: The impact of recommendation quality.

BACKGROUND: Receiving a healthcare provider's recommendation is a strong predictor of HPV vaccination, but little is known empirically about which types of recommendation are most influential. Thus, we sought to investigate the relationship between recommendation quality and HPV vaccination among U.S. adolescents. METHODS: In 2014, we conducted a national, online survey of 1495 parents of 11-17-year-old adolescents. Parents reported whether providers endorsed HPV vaccination strongly, encouraged same-day vaccination, and discussed cancer prevention. Using an index of these quality indicators, we categorized parents as having received no, low-quality, or high-quality recommendations for HPV vaccination. Separate multivariable logistic regression models assessed associations between recommendation quality and HPV vaccine initiation (≥ 1 dose), follow through (3 doses, among initiators), refusal, and delay. RESULTS: Almost half (48%) of parents reported no provider recommendation for HPV vaccination, while 16% received low-quality recommendations and 36% received high-quality recommendations. Compared to no recommendation, high-quality recommendations were associated with over nine times the odds of HPV vaccine initiation (23% vs. 74%, OR=9.31, 95% CI, 7.10-12.22) and over three times the odds of follow through (17% vs. 44%, OR=3.82, 95% CI, 2.39-6.11). Low-quality recommendations were more modestly associated with initiation (OR=4.13, 95% CI, 2.99-5.70), but not follow through. Parents who received high- versus low-quality recommendations less often reported HPV vaccine refusal or delay. CONCLUSIONS: High-quality recommendations were strongly associated with HPV vaccination behavior, but only about one-third of parents received them. Interventions are needed to improve not only whether, but how providers recommend HPV vaccination for adolescents.

Evaluating the economic impact of a targeted medication intervention program.

OBJECTIVE: To calculate the return on investment (ROI) for a targeted medication intervention program developed by corporate management of a community pharmacy. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis and cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Regional community pharmacy chain in North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: Targeted medication interventions completed from February 1, 2010, to July 31, 2010, were included in the retrospective analysis. Community pharmacists employed by the pharmacy chain that completed the questionnaire were included in the cross-sectional analysis. INTERVENTION: Targeted medication intervention services were provided to the patient and documented by the pharmacist. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The ROI for a community pharmacist-provided targeted medication intervention program. RESULTS: Of the 180 pharmacists, 69 completed the questionnaire (38% response rate). The average time to complete one targeted medication intervention was calculated to be 22.63 minutes. The total cost for providing a targeted medication intervention program during the study time frame was $15 760.86. Total revenue was $15 216.00; therefore, the program resulted in an ROI to the pharmacy chain of negative 3%. CONCLUSION: This 6-month study resulted in an ROI to the pharmacy chain of negative 3%. Under the current reimbursement model, for this program to break even, the average time to complete one targeted medication intervention must equal 21.85 minutes or less.

Retrospective analysis of estimated cost avoidance following pharmacist-provided medication therapy management services.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the estimated cost avoidance (ECA) of pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) services among common disease states encountered in community pharmacy practice. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: Nine community pharmacies in North Carolina. PATIENTS: Three hundred and sixty-four patients who are 65 years of age or older, a Medicare Part D beneficiary and a North Carolina resident. INTERVENTIONS: An MTM pharmacist-provider conducted medication reviews to eligible patients between July 2009 and October 2009. For each encounter, patient interventions, pharmacist recommendations, and ECA were recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: ECA. RESULTS: In 9 pharmacy locations, 634 MTM interventions were documented during the study period. The ECA in a 4-month period yielded approximately $494 000. Comprehensive medication reviews, new prescription counseling and appropriate medication administration, and technique counseling made up nearly two-thirds of interventions. Overall, the probability that an MTM intervention would result in an ECA greater than $0 was .35. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacist-provided MTM effectively reduced costs associated with patient medication use. Such interventions reduced costs in overall health care specifically in the areas of cardiovascular, gastroesophageal reflux disease, pulmonary, and diabetes groups.