APhA Foundation announces 2011 Pinnacle Award winners

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation announced recipients of the 2011 Pinnacle Awards, which will be given during a ceremony at the APhA headquarters, June 27, Washington, D.C.

The Pinnacle Awards, established in 1998 by the foundation’s Quality Center, celebrate significant contributions to the process of medication use through increased patient adherence, reduced drug misadventures, promotion of national treatment guidelines, improved patient outcomes, or enhanced communication among the members of the healthcare team.

Mel Baron, PharmD, MPA, FAPhA, FACA, FCPhA, associate professor at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, will receive the Individual Award for Career Achievement. This award is given to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in the enhancement of healthcare quality and medication use.

“Baron is tireless when it comes to helping people get the information and services they need to optimize health. He has been a strong advocate for the profession of pharmacy for over 50 years, illustrating the pharmacist’s abilities to improve patient outcomes, educate the public, and save healthcare dollars,” APhA announced in a public statement.

Baron’s efforts include helping to launch the USC School of Pharmacy’s model practice in a dozen safety-net clinics in the Los Angeles area, as well as a health literacy project that uses fotonovelas. These comic-book-style stories impart vital health information on common conditions and dispel frequent myths and misconceptions.

The Group Practice - Health System - Corporation Award is being given to The Medication Assistance Program (MAP) at The Ohio State University Medical Center (OSUMC), Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital,  and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. This category recognizes a significant scientific contribution and/or quality improvement project.

The OSUMC MAP offers a unique service to patients, helping them obtain necessary medications through pharmaceutical manufacturers’ patient-assistance programs, disease-based assistance grants, charity-care dollars, and other funding sources.

“Since its inception in 2001, the Medication Assistance Program has formally assisted more than 8,700 patients, processed more than 22,000 applications, and obtained more than $53 million worth of medications for either take-home or replacement purposes,” announced APhA.

The Government Agency - Nonprofit Organization - Association Award is being given to The Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative (PSPC). This award recognizes organizations that have demonstrated approaches to assist patients and their caregivers in achieving better outcomes from their medications.

The PSPC is a national effort to improve the quality of healthcare across America by integrating patient-centered clinical pharmacy services into the care and management of high-risk, high-cost, medically complex patients.

“In 12 months under PSPC, 54% of the selected patients improved to medically under control, adverse drug events were reduced by 49%, and potential adverse drug events were reduced by 60%,” APhA announced.

Administered by the foundation’s Quality Center, the Pinnacle Awards are supported through an education donation provided by Amgen, and this activity is supported by Merck.