Unique model for pharmacist cross-coverage in the ambulatory care setting

Abstract

Clinical cross-coverage in ambulatory care pharmacy practice is currently lacking and can lead to gaps in patient care, lost revenue generation, and pharmacist burnout due to a lack of time and support for indirect patient care and non-clinical activities. To address this need, a cross-coverage model for a team of ambulatory care pharmacists practicing in diverse clinical settings was developed and is primarily supported by a single broadly-trained pharmacist known as an ambulatory care generalist. Cross-coverage from the ambulatory care generalist includes in-person and virtual patient care as well as in-basket management and is available to all clinic-based pharmacists on the specialty and primary care team with a few select clinics involving a designated collaborative practice agreement. The cross-covering pharmacist has been shown to positively impact productivity measures and components of pharmacist burnout. Widespread implementation of this cross-coverage model has the potential to greatly impact pharmacy practice and patient care in the ambulatory care setting and increase sources of revenue.