March 2014

This edition of Directions in Pharmacy addresses the value-based health care model through the eyes of pharmacy-and focuses on its challenges and opportunities.

Cost is a part of the value proposition, but it needs to be put in place at the system level.

The patient"provider relationship is not merely a series of isolated encounters, but a complex and dynamic set of overlapping episodes.

The shift from a fee-for-service to a fee-for-value model in pharmacy means an increased emphasis on clinical outcomes.

Quality measures generate vital information on outcomes and can help ensure that medications are used appropriately and effectively.

Departments of pharmacy in the hospital will be called upon to work within existing budgets while providing additional services such as medication reconciliation and patient education.

Care delivery is shifting to models that reward patient engagement and ensure that their voices are heard by the health care team.

The particular skill set of the pharmacist is more fully utilized when the quality of care provided is valued over the quantity of prescriptions filled.

The quest for increased value and cost effectiveness will shape transactions among pharmacies, suppliers, and service providers.

The patient care model employed by specialty pharmacies emphasizes communication and coordination among stakeholders.

An independent pharmacy in Virginia provides patient care services through an anticoagulation clinic.

A chain pharmacy implements an integrated care program featuring pharmacists and health care coaches who provide in-store counseling.