Browsing by Author "Westberg, Sarah M."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Advancing Medication Reconciliation in an Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic through a Pharmacist-Led Educational Initiative
    (University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, 2010) Westberg, Sarah M.; Beeksma, Kathrine
    Objectives: To develop and deliver an effective pharmacist-led educational initiative to clinic staff to advance medication reconciliation in the electronic medical record of an outpatient internal medicine clinic. Methods: An educational initiative designed to improve the ability of nursing staff in medication reconciliation was launched in the outpatient internal medicine clinic of a regional healthcare system. The education was provided by the pharmacist to clinic nursing staff, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified medical assistants. The impact of this training was measured through pre-initiation and post-implementation surveys, competency assessments and an audit. Results: The educational initiative was successfully designed and delivered to clinic nursing staff. Assessment of the initiative found that all nursing staff completing competency assessments successfully passed. Pre-initiation- and post-implementation- survey responses on the self-assessed ability to gather and document accurate medication lists did not show significant changes. Informal observations in the clinic indicated that this initiative changed the culture of the clinic, creating increased awareness of the importance of accurate medications and increased emphasis on medication reconciliation. Conclusions: The expertise of pharmacists can be utilized to educate nursing staff on the skills and abilities necessary to gather and document accurate medication lists. This study did not find measurable changes in the accuracy of medication lists in this clinic. Future research is needed to determine the best methods to train health professionals in medication reconciliation to ensure accurate medication lists in the outpatient setting.
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    Evaluation of a Consumer-Generated Marketing Plan for Medication Therapy Management Services
    (University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, 2012) Isetts, Brian J.; Schommer, Jon C.; Westberg, Sarah M.; Johnson, Julie K.; Froiland, Nickie; Hedlund, Julie M.
    The purpose of this project was to utilize a consumer-directed, care model redesign methodology to develop and evaluate a marketing plan for medication therapy management services (MTMS) provided in community pharmacies. This was accomplished through a six-step process: (1) application of “design thinking” for eliciting consumer input on redesigning MTMS and marketing approaches, (2) exploratory research, (3) focus group analysis, (4) marketing plan development, (5) marketing plan implementation, and (6) marketing plan evaluation. The findings showed that the application of “design thinking” and focus group analysis was useful for creating a consumer-directed marketing plan for medication therapy management services (MTMS). Implementation and evaluation of the MTMS Marketing Plan revealed that the most successful pharmacies were those that had established business associate agreements with the medical clinics closest to their site of practice, including access to electronic health records. This “virtual electronic presence” of pharmacists in the medical care system was highly consistent with the consumer demand we uncovered for a visible relationship between pharmacists, physicians and other health care providers.
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    Over-the-Counter Medication Use, Perceived Safety, and Decision-Making Behaviors in Pregnant Women
    (University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, 2011) Kline, Katie L.; Westberg, Sarah M.
    The purpose of this study was to determine which over-the-counter (OTC) medications women are using during pregnancy, and to assess patients’ perceived safety of these medications. In addition, the decision-making process utilized by pregnant women when choosing OTC drug therapy was explored, including sources of information and recommendation. The subjects included pregnant women 18 years and older. Subjects were solicited as a convenience sample by providing surveys in two urban women’s clinic waiting rooms. Of the 61 respondents, 96.3% had used an OTC medication, herbal, or vitamin during their current pregnancy. The most common products included prenatal vitamins, acetaminophen, cough drops, antacids, calcium, vitamin D, and DHA. The majority of women surveyed regarded over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbals as “safe, but would talk to a healthcare professional before using.” The most utilized sources of drug information during pregnancy were a physician (68.9%), midwife (55.7%), and the Internet (44.3%). There were an equal number of respondents obtaining general OTC information from a pharmacist as from their family and friends (26.2%). Almost all subjects had used an over-the-counter medication during their pregnancy and the majority considered OTCs safe after first consulting a healthcare professional. Although a high percentage of subjects have obtained their information and recommendations from healthcare professionals, a very small proportion of subjects had utilized a pharmacist as a resource. Being drug experts and easily accessible members of the healthcare team, pharmacists have a responsibility to aid the obstetric population in the appropriate and safe use of over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbals during pregnancy.
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    Patient-perceived value of Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services: a series of focus groups
    (University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, 2012-12) Schultz, Heidi; Westberg, Sarah M.; Oliveira, Djenane Ramalho de; Brummel, Amanda
    Objective: To determine the patient-perceived value of MTM services and non-financial barriers preventing patients with insurance coverage from receiving MTM services. Design: Focus groups. Setting: Fairview Pharmacy Services, Minneapolis, MN. Participants: Three focus groups, each with five to nine participants, consisting of different participant populations: (i) patients who paid out-of-pocket to receive MTM services; (ii) insurance beneficiaries, under which MTM is a covered benefit and participants may have received incentives for receiving MTM services; (iii) patients with an insurance plan which covers MTM services who were recruited to receive MTM services but declined. Intervention: MTM services. Main Outcome Measure: Patient-perceived value of MTM services and non-financial barriers. Results: Seven themes were identified relating to the patient-perceived value of MTM services: collaboration of the health care team, MTM pharmacist as a supporter/advocate/confidant, MTM pharmacist as a resource for questions and education, accessibility to the MTM pharmacist, financial incentives for participation in MTM services, MTM pharmacy as a specialty field, and the MTM pharmacist as a coordinator. Three themes were identified regarding patient-perceived non-financial barriers to receiving MTM services, including: availability of the MTM pharmacist, patient/physician lack of knowledge of MTM services, patient’s belief that MTM services are not needed. Conclusion: MTM is a service which patients identify as valuable. Patients are able to identify non-financial barriers that may prevent some patients from receiving MTM services. This study provides preliminary evidence of both the value and barriers perceived by patients.
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    Perspectives from the Hmong Population on Type 2 Diabetes
    (University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, 2012-12) Xiong, Phoua; Westberg, Sarah M.
    The primary goal of the study was to determine perceptions the Hmong population has about Type 2 diabetes. Specific information to be gathered from the Hmong participants were: reactions after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, knowledge and beliefs about medications, and how pharmacists can help them with their diabetes care. Learning the beliefs of this population related to Type 2 diabetes will help identify methods to improve diabetes care and education for Hmong patients. A focus group was conducted with Hmong participants with Type 2 diabetes to explore their perceptions and experiences with diabetes. There were 9 participants in the focus group which lasted approximately 90 minutes. The major themes were a misunderstanding of diabetes and its treatment, a reluctance to adhere to medications, a reluctance to change cultural diet, and the need for clear education from pharmacists. Participant recommendations for pharmacists were to improve their diabetes care by educating them about the condition, medication, and available treatments.