ABSTRACT
This report describes the role of a clinical pharmacist serving onsite in an interprofessional collaborative practice care model at an urban underserved primary care clinic. It also overviews current health care legislative policy as it relates to expanding pharmacists roles as an integrated team member in medically underserved, vulnerable populations.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care Facilities , Patient Care Team , Pharmacists , Vulnerable Populations , Humans , Interprofessional Relations , Primary Health CareABSTRACT
The Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Workforce, has spearheaded a 3-year effort to increase the skills of nurses to lead interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) teams. Since 2012, the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention program has funded 53 sites engaged in this work. The purposes of this report are to describe the IPCP framework undergirding implementation at one such site, describe the evaluation components and approach, describe how health professions students are integrated into this model, and discuss implications of IPCP for future nurse-managed/nurse-led initiatives within an evolving health care environment. Core team members include a family nurse practitioner, physician, pharmacist, social worker, and community health advocate. The clinic is located within a public housing complex; the target population is largely uninsured or underinsured with a historically high rate of emergency department utilization.