Drug Topics and UConn are preparing you for provider status

Jill FitzgeraldSupported by four Congressional Representatives and four Senators, bipartisan legislation (S. 314 and H.R. 592), also known as “provider status” legislation, is gaining strength. The Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act will improve patient care through the enhancement of access to pharmacists’ patient-care services.

UConn and Drug Topics have partnered for the past several years to keep you ahead of the curve and prepare you for the enhancement of your practice and the provision of quality medication therapy management (MTM) services for chronic diseases.

See also: Comprehensive MTM for patients with cardiovascular disease

Focus on respiratory diseases

Beginning this month, we are providing comprehensive education in the area of respiratory diseases and MTM essentials necessary to assisting patients with medication adherence and management of asthma, COPD, colds and flu, allergic rhinitis, and other important respiratory illnesses.

In the tradition of these exceptional activities, we will provide practical, relevant information on issues directly related to the core elements of MTM. The activities will provide you with the tools you can use every day as you discuss medication therapy for common respiratory diseases and self-care issues for patients with common respiratory ailments.

The series will run in the magazine from April through December. We have online interactive cases planned for January–March 2016, followed by live meetings in mid-2016.

Proven outcomes

Together, UConn and Drug Topics have been leaders in providing continuing professional development activities that are intended to enhance your practice. This is a unique approach, one that other publishers have not employed.

See also: Continuing professional development opportunities

The activities are easily accessible and provide comprehensive education that has displayed measurable outcomes. Pharmacists who have attended our live meetings and completed the requirements for the “certificate of achievement” have reported an increase in their confidence to deliver MTM services. They have identified and resolved more than 400 medication-related problems, and they have increased their patients’ adherence to diabetes therapy. These are proven outcomes that can benefit you in your practice.

Articles and updates

The previous activities are also still available. We have posted them to the UConn/Drug Topics website. Comprehensive educational articles in the areas of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, pain management and osteoporosis are all still available at http://pharmacy.uconn.edu/academics/ce/drug-topics-and-uconn-ce/.

In addition, the diabetes series is being updated to include the most recent guidelines and new medications. The full series will be posted to the website during the month of May.

We will continue to offer the live meeting for the diabetes practice-based activities. Look for e-mail blasts and banner ads for upcoming offerings.

We look forward to your comments and suggestions on these and future continuing pharmacy education offerings. Please feel free to contact me at jill.fitzgerald@uconn.edu.

We are committed to making the continuing pharmacy education provided in the pages of Drug Topics a true continuing professional development program that enhances your patient care and your practice of pharmacy.

Jill Fitzgerald is director of Pharmacy Professional Development and associate clinical professor at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy.