Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our pharmacotherapy clinic had to rapidly create new workflows for telehealth services to allow for continued care of our patients, while minimizing their possible exposure to COVID-19. We will be discussing how we have rapidly converted our face-to-face pharmacist visits to telehealth visits to minimize patient exposure in the ambulatory care clinics, as well as, pharmacist/provider exposure to patients unnecessarily. In addition, we will discuss the types of telehealth visits provided, the roadblocks we have encountered/lessons learned and current reimbursement for such services.
SPEAKERS
Jessica Bianco, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP CACP, CPh, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy in 2001. After graduation, she completed an ASHP accredited specialty residency in ambulatory care at Bay Pines VAMC in St. Petersburg, FL. Dr. Bianco began her clinical practice at Tampa General Hospital in 2002, focusing primarily on inpatient psychiatry. In 2003, Dr. Bianco started ambulatory pharmacy services at the TGMG clinics, thus shifting her practice solely to primary care. As a pharmacotherapy specialist in ambulatory care, her current clinical practice responsibilities include management of the anticoagulation clinic, chronic disease state management, comprehensive medication reviews, transition of care services and patient teaching/education. Dr. Bianco has been instrumental in expanding ambulatory care pharmacy services to five full time pharmacists, four part-time faculty members covering 16 primary care locations. In addition, she serves as the consultant pharmacist of record for the TGMG Clinics at Tampa General Hospital. Dr. Bianco also serves as preceptor AAPE rotations in ambulatory care for the University of Florida, University of South Florida and LECOM College of Pharmacy. In addition, Dr. Bianco is a preceptor for PGY1 reis ambulatory care residency preceptor for the Tampa General Hospital PGY1 residency program. Dr. Bianco is a board-certified ambulatory care pharmaicst and certified anticoagulation care provider. She is a member of the AC forum, ACCP and ASHP. Her teaching and research interests include hyperlipidemia, anticoagulation, diabetes, transitions of care and telehealth pharmacy services.
Rachael Cofield, PharmD, was born and raised in Sheridan, Wyoming and graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science in Physiology. Rachael moved to Tampa, Florida where she completed her Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of South Florida. Rachael has a passion of ambulatory care pharmacy services. Rachael completed her ambulatory care focused PGY1 residency at Turley Family Health Center in Clearwater, Florida. Rachael is currently completing her PGY2 in ambulatory care at Tampa General Hospital.
Melanie R. Smith, Pharm.D., BCACP, DPLA is the Director of the ASHP Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners. In this role, Dr. Smith serves as the staff liaison to the Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners Executive Committee. She also acts as an ASHP information resource and provides guidance to ASHP members on pharmacy practice in various ambulatory care practice settings.
Previously, Dr. Smith was the Director, Educational Programs within ASHP's Educational Services Division. In this role, she helped coordinate continuing educational programming for ASHP's national meetings. Prior to joining ASHP, Dr. Smith was a Clinical Pharmacist II with United Healthcare as well as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist with the Roudebush VA Medical Center.
Dr. Smith received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of North Carolina and her Doctor of Pharmacy from Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed an ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency at the Lexington VA Medical Center in 2008 and obtained her Board Certification in Ambulatory Care in 2011.