Outpatient pharmacist, professional

In health care, our definition of competitors sometimes has to be broadened beyond that which is most obvious. For example, in the hospital environment, a new pharmacy program actually may compete with other professions within the hospital. Many of the advanced clinical services that pharmacists provide replace functions of other health care professionals, especially physicians. This is true even in the outpatient environment. For example, a pharmacy-run immunization clinic may compete with physician offices that also administer vaccines. 

Mark Jacobs, pharmacist for Shopko Pharmacy in Beloit, Wisconsin, published his thoughts about making more time for patients in the pharmacy in the book 101 Ways to Improve Your Pharmacy Worklife (as noted in Jacobs, 2002). He suggests six specific tasks for handling the volume of phone calls in practice that can help to improve your professional satisfaction and ability to care for patients (a few of which apply specifically to outpatient and community practices) ... 

Hospital-Based Outpatient Clinics The Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) is the method for compensation for hospital-based outpatient facilities (DHHS, 2000a). With this system, there is a professional component (e.g., for physician providers) and a technical component (e.g., for nonphysician health care professionals) to billing that describes the various contributions of the health care team during the specific patient encounter. Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) codes are used within this system to describe the type and complexity of the patient visit to the insurance company. When pharmacists provide services within a hospital-based clinic, the compensation for the service goes to the hospital facility instead of directly to the provider. The revenue generated should be able to be tracked internally as to which department or health care professional was involved in the care of the patient (Snella and Sachdev,... 

The principles and processes of pharmaceutical care practice are needed and applicable to patients in all pharmacy settings, including (but not limited to) inpatient, outpatient, community pharmacy, and academic sites. Practice is not restricted to select pharmacists based on years of experience, degree, specialty practice certificate, board certification, residency experience, or academic appointment. It is not a function of professional credentials or place of work but rather the desire and competence to take responsibility for the outcomes of each patient s drug therapy. 

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