Patient-centered medical home: developing, expanding, and sustaining a role for pharmacists.
OBJECTIVE
The development of a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) health care model and the role of pharmacists in PCMHs at the University of Michigan are described.


CONCLUSIONS
In 2009, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) provided financial incentives to physician groups to implement PCMH principles. A partnership was formed among the department of pharmacy, college of pharmacy, and faculty group practice at the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) to integrate clinical pharmacists into the PCMH model at eight general medicine practices. The rationale was that PCMH pharmacists could assist in managing chronic conditions by substituting or augmenting physician care, help achieve quality indicators, and increase revenue by billing for their services. At the University of Michigan, PCMH pharmacists currently provide direct patient care services at eight general medicine health centers for patients with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and polypharmacy, which are billable using T codes, which are payable to UMHS by most BCBSM plans. In the first year, the number of PCMH pharmacist half-day clinics varied from one to six per health center, and the mean number of patients per half-day clinic ranged from 2.2 to 6. Pharmacists in four PCMHs made more medication changes per visit than the other four, particularly for patients with diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
At the University of Michigan, PCMH pharmacists currently provide direct patient care services at eight general medicine health centers for patients with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and polypharmacy via referral from physicians.
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1065, USA.
Hae Mi
HM
Choe
Karen B
KB
Farris
James G
JG
Stevenson
Kevin
K
Townsend
Heidi L
HL
Diez
Tami L
TL
Remington
Stuart
S
Rockafellow
Leslie A
LA
Shimp
Annie
A
Sy
Trisha
T
Wells
Connie J
CJ
Standiford
D006801:Humans; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000639:trends*; D024382:Professional Role; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D013333:Student Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*