Purpose:In 2004, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) bylaws recognized pharmacists as an essential part of the patient care team. Recently, the demand for transplant clinical pharmacists has increased rapidly in hospital and ambulatory settings; however, there is still little understanding about the role of community pharmacists in the care of transplant patients. Community pharmacists have unique capabilities that can complement provider in the care of these patients, such as specialized knowledge of prescription benefits. The objectives of this study are to: (1) describe the role of the community pharmacist on a collaborative, multidisciplinary transplant team and (2) assess patient satisfaction of the service provided by the community pharmacist on the transplant team.

Methods: This prospective, cohort study follows the census of all transplant patients seen at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) between December 2015 and May 2016 (estimated 50 patients). These patients are followed from the initial point that the community pharmacist is notified of a new transplant until 4-6 weeks after discharge. Quantitative and qualitative data on the types of interactions that the community pharmacist makes with the healthcare team members are analyzed. A patient satisfaction telephone survey will also be conducted 4-6 weeks post-discharge by an intern, and it was created specifically to evaluate the program and has not previously been validated. It contains ten, mixed items, and the data will be evaluated using descriptive statistics.

Results: As a result of the close relationship that Walgreens pharmacists have with the pharmacists and providers at BIDMC, the community pharmacists are able to preemptively evaluate every transplant patient for barriers, such as medication access and adherence.

Conclusion:This study is expected to describe community pharmacists' communication with the multidisciplinary transplant team in detail and also reveal the level of satisfaction that patients have for the transplant program, as it relates to community pharmacist involvement in their transition from hospital to home.

CITATION INFORMATION: Nguyen D, Rickles N, Rogers C, Richards K, Thomas J, Loring A, Kirkham H, Kang M, Poliskey K. Transplant Specialized Community Pharmacists' Role in Care Transitions for Transplant Patients. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).

« Back to 2016 American Transplant Congress