Baptist Health South Florida’s Approach to Alzheimer Disease Care

In this interview with Pharmacy Times, Josean Gonzalez, PharmD, BCPP, a clinical pharmacy specialist in internal medicine at Baptist Health South Florida, discusses his role and the broader responsibilities of clinical pharmacists within the hospital setting. Gonzalez explains that pharmacists are deeply integrated into multidisciplinary care teams, participating in medical rounds alongside physicians, residents, and trainees to provide medication expertise and support clinical decision-making. In addition to direct patient care, pharmacists manage clinical consults related to anticoagulation, parenteral nutrition, and antimicrobial therapies, while also contributing to quality improvement initiatives, medication evaluations, and staff education efforts.

Gonzalez also highlights the extensive involvement of Baptist Health in Alzheimer disease care, emphasizing the health system’s comprehensive memory care program led by dementia and cognitive disorder specialists. Through this program, patients can access newer disease-modifying therapies, including antiamyloid monoclonal antibodies administered through Baptist’s infusion center network. Gonzalez stresses that successful Alzheimer disease management requires a multidisciplinary approach involving neurologists, pharmacists, nurses, imaging teams, and support services to ensure patients receive proper monitoring, treatment coordination, and caregiver resources. Beyond clinical care, BHSF is also actively engaged in Alzheimer disease research, exploring emerging approaches.

In his closing remarks, Gonzalez underscores the rapidly evolving nature of Alzheimer disease treatment and the meaningful progress represented by newer therapies for select patients. He emphasizes the important role pharmacists can play in this space through medication optimization, safety monitoring, patient and caregiver education, and coordinated care efforts. Gonzalez notes that the overarching goal is to help patients access the right treatment at the right time while ensuring safe, well-coordinated care that supports both patients and caregivers throughout the treatment journey.